


Apathy

by KlonoaDreams



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexual Character, Bonding, Chubby Main Character, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Disciplinary Committee Tsuna, Eventual Harem, Eventual Relationships, Everyone Loves Tsuna, Fashionista Mochida gets dragged along for the ride, Female Sawada Tsunayoshi, Friendship, Gen, Genderbending, HANA IS A GOOD FRIEND, Hibari getting mistaken for a pervert, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Kyouko is the living embodiment of sunshine and warmth, Multi, Nana taking initiative, Nonbinary Main Character, Nonbinary Tsuna, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Running from Hibari, Ryouhei being EXTREME, Self-Insert, Slow Build, Surprisingly Proactive Iemitsu, Tsuna being done with the world, Yamamoto being Yamamoto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-04-15 09:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 45,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4601334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlonoaDreams/pseuds/KlonoaDreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's all fun and games until you realize that you've been reincarnated into a once fictional world where you're the next in line to become a mafia boss and any chance you potentially had at a normal life will get gunned down by a baby hitman…repeatedly. Sawada Setsuna is anything but amused because it took a baseball to the chest to realize who she actually was and even then, her first thought is to buy a lock for her room. SI reincarnated as fem!Tsuna.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Painful Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> So hey, here's another SI OC fic for you guys to read so you know I'm not dead. And not only is it an SI OC fic, but also a genderbender fic. Bit of a heads up, it starts in first person before shifting over to third person, which will be the permanent POV for this fic. I'll explain more about it at the end of this chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer for the entire story: I don't own Katekyō Hitman Reborn! or anything related to the franchise! I am in no ways Akira Amano, nor will I ever be!
> 
> I honestly shouldn't be publishing so many stories when I have so many others to update, but I have a reason for writing this fic, so do make sure to check out the A/N at the end of this chapter. Have fun reading!

Do you ever wake up and ask yourself if your life can get any more normal? I sure do, because I _want_ my life to be normal. I want it to play out as normally as possible, with as few bumps in the road that I could possibly ask for. From what I can say so far, I've already failed at having a seemingly normal appearance, with orange-brown eyes and brown hair that liked to defy gravity.

I should have known something was up the instant I looked into a mirror. And who could forget that I went from living in southern California to some place in Japan? Certainly not me, and the circumstances that brought this situation are _far_ different from what I could have ever expected.

First off—reincarnation exists. Ask me for proof and I'll point to myself—because almost thirteen years ago (maybe even more than that), I was some random adult struggling to get through college. It wasn't a remarkable life by any means, but I wasn't complaining…too much, at least. Then came the day a stray bullet pierced me through the heart and bam, there goes whatever life I had. By the way, fuck the police—you're the reason I'm in this shit!

I was under the impression that death was where it ended ( _maybe_ had some hope that there was a possible afterlife), but then I had the most _unpleasant_ experience discovering that reincarnation exists. Don't ask me about it, I'm still trying to repress those memories now that I can actually think about them without too many issues.

The language barrier was jarring at first, but nothing could compare to the shock I got when I realized that I wasn't in my world anymore—the world I came from previously. It really says a lot when you come across children your age with hair that is far too spiky and blue (or any other color, for that matter) to be natural. Except it _is_ natural, because guess who had the luck of being born into an anime-esque world?

Yeah, the day I came to terms with that was the day I decided that I wanted a normal life. Then I took a good look in the mirror and realized that I had some work to do if I wanted to avoid getting shoved into the spotlight. So came the goal of becoming some unimportant background character, because vivid memories of too much anime and manga made life as a character out of either quite… _unpleasant_.

Look, I just want a normal life with the least amount of drama and no romance—at least until I turn twenty, which is when I am legally considered an adult. Hopefully, I'll be as far away as possible from any high school harem shenanigans. I want _nothing_ to do with magical girls and I'm seriously banking on my seemingly normal hair color (which is brown, in case you're wondering) to lock me out of that genre permanently.

I am extremely wary of being involved in any shoujo drama and the like, so I'm doing my best to pick my friends carefully…not that I have any worth mentioning (or any at all, for that matter). I _doubt_ I'll be a shounen protagonist, considering that I'm female (for the most part). Honestly, I don't mind at all, as I'd rather have a peaceful life devoid of any action.

My mother is still alive (no dead anime mom hairstyle on this mother!) and apart from the occasional disappearances without any explanations, my father was somewhat involved in my life. I'd rather he wasn't, though—not with the way he acts sometimes. Like, he's a good guy, though embarrassing at times, but…the guy almost dropped me as a baby and I'm not exactly the type of person to ever forget that. Just—who gave this man a baby? Mama did, that's who, so all I can ask is WHY?!

Sometimes, I don't get what Mama sees in Papa…but who am I to judge? I guess he does look nice, though that natural blond hair _really_ does seem off for someone who is supposed to be Japanese. But I suppose that, after a while, you just gotta ignore the way genetics work (even though my brain _really_ does want to crack the code) in this world—or any world that's out of an anime or a manga…

In a similar vein, I learned to ignore that I _might_ be some character out of an anime or manga—though, not enough to purposely sit in the seat next to the window in class. I wasn't going to risk it, which is why I always made sure I got to school on time—I will _not_ be that girl who runs out of the house with a piece of bread in her mouth, yelling she's late. I don't care if it only happens to high school students—I'm _not_ risking it. There was enough truth to _Senpai Club_ that it's just best to take precautions.

As I've mentioned before, I don't exactly have any friends. Popular is the last word I'd ever used to describe myself, being the kid that everyone picked on for having ridiculously spiky hair. Yeah, it was just my luck that I ended up being the only kid in my class with spiky hair. Seriously, fuck my hair! I want my thick, curly mess back—frizz and all, not _this_ anime-esque bullshit of a hair-type!

I had to grow out my hair so as to weigh down the spikes. It took a while, but once my hair had gotten long enough, the teasing stopped. I would like to say that that was the end of that, but then everyone found something else about me to focus on _instead_. People can be so shallow—children especially, but the joke's on them! I don't give a shit about being pudgy!

I mean, I'm still young, but even then, being pudgy is nothing new to me, when I was already on the heavy side to begin with in my past life. The only actual difference I can point out is that, for once, I _am_ getting picked on for being chubby and not because I'm taking medication for my ADHD.

…

I might have issues that still linger from my past life, but my body certainly isn't one of them (and neither is my ADHD). Honestly, I feel rather comfortable with this body because I still _feel_ like me. It's not that difficult to find clothes that fit, either (not yet, at least—I'll cross that bridge when I get there). And it is surprisingly _easy_ to verbally slap a bitch that won't back down, even though I'm mostly ignoring what they are saying.

Bullying aside, I did rather well in school—better than I was expecting to do, anyways. It probably helped that I had knowledge and knowledge is power, though in my case, I was basically cheating for being a child with the knowledge of an immature college student. Not that anyone could ever prove it (nor did they ever questioned such intelligence—I made sure of that) and I was totally proud of being the person with the highest grades in my class. After what I had to put up with in my past life, it's actually nice having passing grades that are higher than a seventy percent, like say—ninety percent and above.

As you can see, my new life certainly had better perks than my previous life, where I struggled in places and didn't have the courage to stand up for myself. And because I wasn't waiting until I was in high school to decide what I was going to do with my life, I decided to start doing so now. I was considering going into a field of science, because my knowledge of science _loves_ to annoy the shit out of me when I least need it (like biology and physics)…so I might as put it to use, as I had planned to in my past life before I got shot in the chest by that stupid cop.

There was so much potential I had with this life, never mind the fact that I was no longer in the same reality I once inhabited. I was just content to have a second chance at living out a life where I actually _knew_ what I wanted to do with myself.

Then I found out that it wasn't just coincidence that my nickname was Tsuna.

Tsuna, by the way, is short for Setsuna—nice name, huh? I certainly thought so until the day I found out that Sawada Setsuna was, for all intents and purposes, a female Sawada Tsunayoshi that probably shouldn't have existed.

And yet, somehow, she did and this is the story of the life I now shared with her.

* * *

…

…

Sawada Setsuna (or Tsuna, for short) is a twelve-year-old round-faced girl who has recently gotten out of elementary school. She has long, brown hair that she usually has tied up in twintails and brown eyes that possess a prominent orange tinge. She is short, chubby, and has quite the penchant for junk food and sweets. She also likes to read manga, of which she has just bought a number of volumes from the bookstore. A satisfied smile crosses her face as she makes her way home, thinking to herself that today is another day of her spring vacation well spent.

She is just minding her own business, thoughts focused on everything but her surroundings. Had she been more observant, then she would have noticed the group of boys playing baseball just a short distance away from her as she cuts through the park. She hears them, but pays them no particular attention. She wants nothing more than to get home as soon as possible, which is why she is taking a shortcut today instead of her usual route.

It is a mistake that Tsuna will soon come to regret when a tall boy with short, spiky black hair is up to bat. He notices the girl but says nothing, focusing his gaze instead on the pitcher. His hands grip the bat tightly as he gets into position. It shouldn't be that difficult for him to hit the ball—and it isn't.

_Clang!_

The noise the metal bat makes when it hits the ball is music to the boy's ears. A wide grin crosses his face as he watches the ball soar through the air. The sight is always so mesmerizing to him. Then he notices the direction the ball is going—it's heading towards that girl!

It takes him some time to react and soon, his voice joins the others as they all call out to the girl. Their attempts to warn the girl backfires when she stops walking and turns toward their direction—yet another mistake Tsuna makes. It happens far too quickly for anyone to do anything about it and by the time Tsuna gets a clue, a baseball hits her right in the chest with enough force to knock her flat onto her ass.

The pain unbearable, but Tsuna's priorities happen to be elsewhere when she turns her attention to the volumes of manga scattered across the ground around her. She never had the best of priorities to begin with, but really—she just bought those volumes. She didn't mean to drop her bag, but it happened and now, she was going to be very, very angry if there was any damage done to any of the volumes… Well, she would be, as soon as her chest stopped fucking _hurting_.

"WHY?!" she so desperately wants to ask, her hand pressed tightly over her chest. Tears well up in the corners of her eyes and she counts herself fortunate that the baseball hadn't hit her in the breasts (that were just _starting_ to develop). She still wants to cry, however…she _really_ wants to cry.

_Ow, ow, ow, ow!_

But Tsuna isn't the type of person to cry in front of others. Not now or ever—and she _certainly_ isn't going to start now. Especially not with the way these boys were crowding around her, asking if she was okay. She swats a few hands that try to touch her—she is _not_ in the mood for physical contact. She just wants to be alone, but it seems she can't even bring herself to say that, with the way her chest hurts so fucking much.

The tall boy with spiky hair finds himself being stared at by the other boys. He smiles sheepishly at them as he continues to collect the volumes of manga off the ground. He knows it's his fault—he was the one who hit the baseball. He only nods his head and continues to smile when he hears them saying that he should have been more careful. Yes, he definitely should have been careful.

He speaks only after he's finished bagging the manga that had been on the ground, holding the bag out for Tsuna to take as soon as he was close by her. "I'm sorry for hitting you in the chest!"

He smiles widely, hoping Tsuna can understand his sincerity. He can hear the other boys talking to each other, laughing that it was so like of him to act this way.

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?" He wants to do something about this— _anything_. Baseball can wait until then.

Tsuna blinks a few times and shakes her head. "I-I'm fine—just go back to what you were doing!"

She snatches the bag out of his hand afterwards. The boy blinks once, his smile ceasing for a moment before making a strong return. He still says nothing, but he decides to stay by Tsuna's side, while the other boys decide to take her words to heart and go their own separate ways—as soon as they finished packing up. It seems that today's baseball game had come to an end—the boy wouldn't blame them, even though he wishes it could have gone on a bit longer. But he ignores the pang in his chest as he attempts to help Tsuna stand up.

Tsuna has never been one to handle attention of this sort. She is used to keeping to herself—that's how it has been for her during these past twelve, almost thirteen, years. She tries to smack away the boy's hand, but he still keeps his hand extended towards her. It takes her a few seconds to realize that he's not giving up, so she decides to play along—maybe _then_ he'll leave.

Except he doesn't, because the boy stays by her side—just watching her as she brushes the dirt off her jeans and shirt.

"Are you okay?" he asks, bending down a bit so that the two saw eye to eye.

Tsuna scowls, somewhat annoyed with how persistent this boy was. This was the longest anyone has ever stuck around. But it seems that this boy was just different from everyone else.

_Just my luck…_

"I'm fine," she tries to say, but the look in the boy's eyes says he knows she's just lying.

_God dammit…_

"Hmm…" The boy stands up straight and then crosses his arms. He thinks for a moment, his gaze focused on Tsuna. He knows she's not fine—getting hit in the chest with a baseball must have _hurt_. And he could tell that she almost cried—her eyes are still red, in fact. Why she was holding it in, he had no clue. Even so, it wasn't nice to make people cry. Which is _why_ he wanted to do something to make it up to her.

Tsuna shifts uncomfortably under the boy's stare. She has no idea what it is that he's thinking or even if she wants to know. All she wants to do is go home and she was about ready to do so, when suddenly, the boy lifted her into his arms after having what he would like to call a brilliant moment of inspiration.

"Whawawa—!" It took every fiber of Tsuna's being to not scream out. She held her bag tightly to her chest, regretting it almost instantly when she felt a stinging pain come from the contact her bag full of manga made with her chest. "Ow, ow, ow!"

And yet, despite the pain, Tsuna keeps her bag close to her chest. She didn't want to drop it—and right now, she finds that she is far too uncomfortable with the idea that the boy will drop her to pay too much attention to the pain in her chest.

"Please don't drop me," she had all but begged, feeling somewhat disturbed at how _happy_ the boy appeared.

"I won't!" He smiles as though nothing is wrong and to him, nothing really is wrong. He has no issues carrying Tsuna, which is something that she notices.

" _How in the fuck?!"_ Tsuna wants to know how it is that someone so _lanky_ can carry her with such _ease_. She's not exactly the lightest person around, despite her short height. And compared to the boy, he is the exact opposite of what she is, being both tall and thin.

He is a lot like most of the boys around her age were—tall, lanky, and most likely to start experiencing the joys of puberty. And by joys, Tsuna means hell because puberty fucking _sucks_ and she is _not_ looking forward to experiencing it a second time. She had enough issues as is with her baby teeth (and whatever of them now remained) after a rather harrowing experience, in which Tsuna _briefly_ forgot that she was a child again and nearly gave her father a heart attack when she lost her first baby tooth.

"Say, do you like sushi?" the boy asks, snapping Tsuna out of her thoughts.

Tsuna makes a face, feeling rather confused as she responds quite honestly, "I-I guess—aah!"

Without any warning, the boy starts to run with Tsuna still in his arms. Where he is heading, Tsuna doesn't know, but she can tell that he has a destination in mind that he has every intent on taking her there. Biting her lip, Tsuna can only hope that wherever it is that he is taking her, that maybe—just maybe—it wouldn't be as weird as he is.

…

…

About half an hour later, Tsuna finds herself at a sushi bar that the boy's father owned. At the moment, she is quietly eating salmon roe sushi and trying her best to ignore that the boy. He sits across from her on the opposite side of the table, just staring at her with a pensive smile on his face. She feels rather awkward and the boy's father does nothing to help with her situation, with the way he keeps walking up to them to ask if everything is fine.

To be quite honest, it _is_ somewhat fine. It could be better, if he could just leave them alone, but Tsuna is trying her best to be as polite as ever. She tries, because it is the least she can do, since the boy is treating her to sushi as means of an apology for hitting her in the chest with a baseball.

She might have gotten into the expensive side in her choice in sushi, but only upon the insistence by the boy's father when she tried picking the cheapest items on the menu.

TakeSushi is the name of the sushi bar and while Tsuna wanted to laugh at the name when she first saw it, she can't help but find it somewhat _familiar_. She knows she has never visited this particular sushi bar before, but the niggling feeling of familiarity kept eating away at her until she started searching through her memories for any references as to _why_ she felt this way.

It is at that moment that the boy's father decided to drop by and check up on them for the umpteenth time. "How's everything?"

"It's fine…" Tsuna quietly responds, trying her best to ignore the stares directed at her.

"Say, I never caught your name—I'm Yamamoto Tsuyoshi," the man introduces himself.

"S-Sawada Setsuna—but everyone just calls me Tsuna…" Tsuna says before putting a piece of sushi in her mouth. She isn't in any mood to talk and she hopes her actions would get the message across.

Tsuyoshi stares at Tsuna for a moment before smiling wide in a manner that reminded her of the boy. It becomes rather apparent to her that the boy takes after his father the most. "That's a cute name!"

Tsuna swallows hard, her face burning red in response to the compliment she just received. She never did so well with compliments—probably because she rarely ever got them from people who weren't related to her. At least with them, she knew how to keep her guard up. But here—she is entirely out of her element.

"Well, if you need anything else, just call out for me or have my son come fetch me." Tsuna feels that Tsuyoshi is _far_ too happy to give out what might as well be free _expensive_ sushi to a girl his son brought home. "Feel free to order anymore sushi if you'd like."

"Okay…" Tsuna has never been known for her people skills, being quite the anxious person when not pushing people away. She considers it ironic, being a former communications major, but she has _long_ since come to terms with that. _"I should probably work on changing that…"_

But until then, Tsuna just hopes the boy doesn't try talking to her again, now that his father had left the two of them alone.

…

"So I'm Yamamoto Takeshi and I'm really sorry for hitting you in the chest with a baseball," the boy finally decides to speak to Tsuna after staying quiet for so long.

"It's fine," Tsuna reassures him with a nervous smile as she picks up another piece of sushi off her plate using a pair of chopsticks. A moment passes and Tsuna comes to a realization, the sushi mere centimeters away from her mouth. Her eyes widen and she almost drops her chopsticks when her brain _finally_ makes a connection as to **why** TakeSushi was so familiar.

Alongside that, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi and Takeshi most _certainly_ ring a bell and it is because of the latter that Tsuna makes a discovery that makes her feel like a complete **idiot**.

She is Sawada Setsuna, known usually as Tsuna—a nickname that had stuck on for so many years. Tsuna doesn't mind, as it isn't her first time living a life where she is mostly known by a nickname. It's been almost thirteen years since she left that life—maybe even more, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that she still remembers and what she remembers is some of the interests she had.

Some of those interests carried over to her new life—a most prominent interest being in videogames and manga. Now when it came to manga, Tsuna recalls reading a lot in the past and with her most recent discovery, she realizes that she had been on the right track when it involved the world she had been reborn into and with that in mind, she can't help but feel **frustrated**.

_Motherfucker!_

She tried—she _truly_ tried her best to stay out of the spotlight as the protagonist or secondary character out of an anime or manga. She really did, as she had her sights set on living a normal life. But as fate would have it, all her attempts have been in vain as she is most _definitely_ the protagonist to a manga. And though she never really recalled a Sawada Setsuna, she _did_ remember a Tsuna…

And he was a boy named Tsunayoshi, with a future as the tenth generation boss of the Vongola Famiglia. Apparently, in this world, Tsunayoshi exists as a girl named Setsuna, which meant that soon, Tsuna would be seeing a baby hitman trying to pass himself off as her tutor.

Whatever chance at a normal life Tsuna had would eventually be gunned down by the aforementioned baby hitman…repeatedly—without _any_ mercy. Had she been amused, which she most _definitely_ is not, she would have laughed at the thought. Instead, she stays quiet and finishes off the rest of her sushi. She then grabs her bag full of manga and stands up, catching Takeshi almost by surprise.

"What's wrong?" he asks, looking somewhat concerned.

"I need to buy a lock." One that Tsuna plans on installing on the door to her room—because if she wanted her privacy to last, then she better get to it now before the day comes when she is surrounded by guys. _"While I'm at it, I should also get some cute underwear."_

Because Tsuna has an idea what is going to happen eventually and if she is going to be flashing her underwear at people, then she might as well make sure she is wearing something nice and concealing. With that decision in mind, Tsuna makes her way out of TakeSushi—but not before thanking Takeshi for everything. She expects to leave the sushi bar on her own, except Takeshi makes sure that that isn't the case as he follows her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2-23-17 So like, seeing as I finally finished working through chapters 1-6, it's time to replace the old chapters with the new ones. I do have a PDF of the old copy of this fic, so if anyone is interested, just ask me for it. If I get enough people asking for it, I’ll post it up on my tumblr at [klonoadreams](http://klonoadreams.tumblr.com/) (where you can find all the other links on my profile under [fanfiction stuff](http://klonoadreams.tumblr.com/fanfiction_stuff)).  
> Life has been pretty hectic for me since I last updated this fic, with school kicking my ass, November fucking happened, my friend committed suicide in October of 2016, I failed a class—but otherwise, I’m still kicking! And I hope you can still find some enjoyment out of this fic!
> 
> I know I should be updating my other fics, but I just felt the need to show my appreciation in some form and considering that this fic is not only an SI OC fic, but also a genderbender—two genres I'm known for. So in a way, this fic is like killing two birds with one stone. In any case, it feels rather appropriate to make a fic like this.
> 
> The title of this fic is meant to reflect on how SI!Tsuna feels about her situation. Most of my SI OC fics have my SI OCs realizing the horror of being reborn in the world of _Naruto_ or _One Piece_. SI!Tsuna, however, is 100% done with the fact that it took her nearly thirteen years to realize she was reborn as a female Sawada Tsunayoshi after trying to avoid becoming an anime/manga character for so long. She will be sarcastic. She will be snarky and she will most definitely be apathetic to most of the world's shenanigans, because she was hoping for a normal life, only to realize that she never had a chance.
> 
> Keep in mind that the reason SI!Tsuna is like that is because it has been like…three years since I last read the KHR manga and I have never watched the anime at all. Of course, as of recently, I started reading the manga again, so that's going to change when it comes to me, but not SI!Tsuna. SI!Tsuna also happens to be chubby and the reason why is…why not? And please do refrain from making any negative comments in regards to this choice.
> 
> In each of my SI OC stories so far, there has been one unique trait I have given to them that set them apart from each other before their personalities became distinct enough to differentiate them from one another. _Gone Fishing_ 's Mako is half-fishman, _Metamorphosis_ 's Shiki has asthma, and _Butterfly Child_ 's Chōko is screwed over by irony, which is how she ended up being a glasses-wearing Akimichi with a fast-metabolism that has caused an imbalance in her body, which is why she's thin and can't use her clan's techniques. Fun fact: I don't wear glasses (I'm the only one in my family who doesn't wear them…yet) and I'm chubby, which is why everything involving Chōko is so ironic.
> 
> That aside, what all my SI OCs have in common is that they are all asexual (don't experience sexual attraction) and have ADHD—because I'm asexual and have ADHD. This will always stay consistent with the SI OCs I write, so do keep that in mind. And remember, just because they're asexual doesn't mean they are incapable of experiencing romantic attraction, like an aromantic. So do expect romance to most likely pop up waaay later into the story, so I'm hoping for an exciting session of the shipping games, like in Metamorphosis and Butterfly Child. Do try to have fun.
> 
> You can totally blame _The (Somewhat) Inevitable Harem of One Tsunayoshi Sawada_ by **FruitPastilles** —that fic is the reason why I was suddenly brought back into the KHR fandom. And along with that, you can thank Chōko's harem game (as reviewers have put it, which I find hilarious), because you can expect a reverse-harem in this fic. Honestly, with a fem!Tsuna, that is always a given, so this is gonna be a wild ride.
> 
> Expect **UnstableFable** and **ChibiFoxAI** to pop up every now and again, because **UnstableFable** is the reason I started this fic earlier than expected, for her excitement having been contagious. **ChibiFoxAI** , as usual, is awesome at contributing ideas (like **UnstableFable** ) and good at just brainstorming with (like UnstableFable, again). These two are just too awesome…
> 
> So this about it for now, and I'm hoping that this chapter was at least enjoyable for you guys to read. Until next time, everyone!


	2. It Begins

Tsuna tries to feel content with the lock she has finished buying for herself. She tries, but the fact that a certain Yamamoto Takeshi is still following her leaves much to be desired. He was there the entire time she was picking out a lock for her door, asking her if she needed any help installing it when she got home. In a way, she does need help—she needs help making sure she reads the instructions correctly the first time instead of screwing up because she misinterpreted a step.

Of course, Tsuna isn't the type of person to easily accept help. Call her being insecure and feeling the need to prove that she can get things done on her own, but she just feels more comfortable being alone. She is an introvert by nature and that is something that will probably never change. She knows this and is completely fine, so long as she has her time alone to recharge. But knowing Yamamoto, being alone seems to be a luxury Tsuna no longer has.

It's quite telling when Yamamoto is still by her side when she starts shopping for underwear. If anything, it's a sure sign that she is stuck with him from here on out. She has no idea how she is even able to keep a straight face as she rummages through the pile of panties that are currently on sale.

" _Not my size…my size but the design sucks!"_ Tsuna makes a face as she continues to search for a pair that matches her desired criteria. She considers herself lucky and unlucky—lucky that she won't have to spend too much money (which makes the poor college student inside of her _extremely_ happy) and unlucky because Yamamoto is friggen' _there_.

"Is this what you're looking for?" And he is currently holding a pair of panties in front of her face—what the absolute fuck?! "Well?"

Tsuna stares blankly at Yamamoto, looking far more exhausted than she probably should be. He isn't even embarrassed—he just wants to know what she thinks.

It took Tsuna the near entirety of her past life before she learned to stop giving a fuck about what people thought of her whenever she was out shopping for underwear, tampons, and pads. And here is Yamamoto, acting as if nothing is wrong as he holds up another pair of panties, hoping to elicit an actual response from Tsuna. It almost pisses her off… _almost_.

"J-Just give me that!" Tsuna feels her face burning as she snatches the pair of panties out of Yamamoto's hands. She can't handle Yamamoto acting his usual (from the looks of it), oblivious self—not in _this_ situation and…oh wow.

_That's…not actually bad._

Yamamoto, surprisingly, has a nice eye for design…but—"They're not even my size."

Well that fucking _sucked_ —but Tsuna isn't going to voice her annoyance. Not in front of Yamamoto, at least, because he seems intent on helping her out and while it is rather considerate of him, Tsuna would rather…do this on her own. It feels far too intimate for her to be doing this so soon with someone she just met.

"Oh…" is all Yamamoto can say, looking momentarily disappointed before deciding to ask, "So what _is_ your size?"

"…" Tsuna stares at Yamamoto, wondering how someone could ask such a personal question with so much ease. Is Yamamoto even aware of the implications his question has? Probably not and frankly, Tsuna is just relieved that she isn't bra shopping. If she's lucky, she probably won't have to worry about making the transition from camisoles to bras for a few more months.

"Well?" In the meantime, Tsuna has to deal with Yamamoto, who is _still_ waiting for an answer.

Realizing that she'll get nowhere with Yamamoto—at the very least, without giving a coherent explanation (of which she is too lazy to provide)—Tsuna sighs and gives him an answer. Afterwards, she returns to searching, trying her best to ignore what she had just done. That heat in her cheeks isn't her blushing— _nooope_ , she is absolutely fine and did Yamamoto just throw a pair of panties into her face?!

_Whap!_

Tsuna blinks a few times, feeling almost scandalized when she removes the undergarment from her face. What the hell did she do to deserve that? She turns her head to look at Yamamoto, who smiles back in response. There are so many questions she wants to ask and there are certainly many different ways she can go about doing so in a mature manner. If _only_ Tsuna were a mature person. Too bad she isn't, so instead of asking any questions, Tsuna decides to react and starts by throwing the pair of panties Yamamoto had just thrown at her back into his face. She scowls when he dodges because—dammit, it was _supposed_ to have hit him!

_Whap!_

Tsuna makes a face when another pair of panties smacks her in the face. This time, Yamamoto starts chuckling, because he's having a lot of fun…that son of a bitch. Without even thinking, Tsuna grabs a random pair of panties out of the pile and throws them at Yamamoto. His smile only widens when he catches the undergarment in midair.

" _This is a game—right?"_ It has to be, Yamamoto thinks as he flings it back into Tsuna's face. For a third time, it hits her in the face and so he starts to laugh even more, because this is really _fun_. "You need to do better than that!"

Tsuna stiffens for a moment, and then starts to shake with anger. She rips the undergarment off her face and scowls at Yamamoto, who continues to look at her with that same smile on his face.

_Challenge fucking accepted!_

Tsuna throws the pair of panties as hard as she can, in hopes that it will hit Yamamoto right in the face. It doesn't, but she doesn't stop there, as she continues to grab more panties out of the pile to throw at him. At least one of them hits Yamamoto and she would have been perfectly satisfied with just that, had he not flung another pair into her face. She grows more desperate after that, having little to no care for the accuracy of her aim as she continues to throw panties at Yamamoto.

Yamamoto can only laugh and laugh as he dodges, allowing only a few to hit him at a time when he stops to fling undergarments in Tsuna's direction. To think, if he hadn't hit that particular baseball earlier, he wouldn't be here with Tsuna. He would still be at the park, playing a game of baseball. Baseball is fun and everything, but so is this!

By now, their actions had escalated into a full-blown panty war. Such is result when two immature idiots are put together. How this even began was when a nearby customer saw Yamamoto—a _boy_ —rummaging through a pile of panties and immediately labeled him a pervert before flinging a pair of panties into his face. Yamamoto wasn't paying attention when that had happened, so when the undergarment hit his face, he was quick to assume that Tsuna had done it. due to how quiet she had gotten after telling him her size. Then one thing led to another and before the two even knew it, they were getting kicked out of the store for causing a scene.

The two preadolescents stood outside of the store, just staring as they try to process what just happened. When it finally sinks in that she had been kicked out of a store— _her_ , **kicked out**!—Tsuna feels mortified beyond belief. She clutches her head with both hands, strongly suppressing a need that makes her want to pull at her hair or hit herself in the forehead.

_None of that, Tsuna!_

Because the last thing Tsuna needs in this life is to suddenly relapse into her past life's self-harming habits. She has managed nearly thirteen years now and she wants to keep it that way.

"I can never show my face here again…" Which is a damn shame, because this store has the best bargains—yes, Tsuna is a complete cheapskate when she wants to be, but _only_ because she sees it as a waste to pass up anything on sale. She lived a whole life taking advantages of sales in the past and she most certainly isn't going to stop now.

Meanwhile with Yamamoto, he starts to laugh and laugh and laugh, earning quite an exasperated look from Tsuna when she turns her head to him. The desire to smack him in the face with her shopping bags is quite strong, but Tsuna decides against it because she doesn't want to seriously hurt the guy. Besides, there are better ways of venting her frustrations— _healthier_ ways.

Sighing, Tsuna decides now is a good time as any to make her way back home. It's getting late, and though she won't get in trouble for staying out as late as she has, due how lenient her mother is, provided she gave an explanation for it (thinking of it now, that is rather in-character of Sawada Nana…huh), all Tsuna wants to do now is read her manga. She is not at all surprised when Yamamoto follows after her. After all, it is either now or after having to convince the guy not to jump off the rooftop of Namimori Middle School. The former is far better than the latter, Tsuna decides.

_It's better this way._

…

…

" _Well, now he knows where I live…"_ is Tsuna's first thought when she and Yamamoto finally arrive to her house. The Sawada Residence no longer seems as appealing to her as she had been hoping it would, but that is probably because she now knew of the many shenanigans that will eventually take place, there, in the future. So many explosions—and she is going to get caught up in _all_ of them.

Tsuna likes explosions—particularly when they create quite the display (like fireworks). What she does _not_ like is being so close to them to the point of endangering her life—not that she had ever been too close to such explosions. To her, it just feels like common sense to stay as far away as possible from them. And, to be quite honest, she doubts her ears will benefit from the close proximity.

That aside, she has every right to be concerned for her life. She died too young (even though she had a tendency to lament how old she was, for someone who was only twenty) and her life is going to be put at stake—multiple times—throughout her middle school years. It is far too early for her to put up with this shit.

_Too bad I have no say in this…_

And yet, she finds that she is acting oddly calm for someone who is going to be shot multiple times in the head by a baby hitman (who isn't actually a baby, but details).

…

" _What is my life?"_ Tsuna sighs as she reaches out to grab the doorknob to her house. Just as she is about to open the door, Yamamoto says her name.

"Sawada!" he says, catching her completely by surprise with how _close_ he sounds.

" _He's right behind me, isn't he?"_ Tsuna exhales shakily and turns to see that Yamamoto is right there, standing so closely to her. A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of her face when their eyes happen to meet for a brief moment. "Wh-What is it?"

Direct eye contact has always been the fastest way to make Tsuna uneasy around strangers. Yamamoto would have been no exception to this, had he not pulled _that_ out of his pocket there and then.

"Oh my god…" Tsuna's eyes widen. Did…did Yamamoto—did Yamamoto seriously shoplift a pair of _panties_?! "Yamamoto— _no_!"

They were white with a strawberry print, decorated with a little red bow, and possessed a light pink lacy trim accent. And Yamamoto pulled them out, just now, as if they weren't that much of a big deal.

"Why?" Tsuna finds herself asking the boy in such a concerned tone, because she is honestly worried for him. She worries for the fact that he had just committed a _crime_ —for whatever reason he might have had (hell if she knew what was going on in his head)—without even thinking twice about it, considering the lack of _shame_ from his demeanor. Future life in the mafia be damned, Yamamoto should _not_ be that proud of his steal! "Why would you do this?"

"I thought you might like them since they're in your size," is Yamamoto's response to Tsuna's question. "Do you?"

If Tsuna were to be completely honest, she does like them. The design is cute, but it is rather difficult to ignore that Yamamoto _shoplifted_ them. Then again—that store _did_ kick them out and it _is_ too late to do anything, now that she's home…

And she didn't have to spend any money, either…

…

…

Tsuna snatches the pair of panties out of Yamamoto's hand and stuffs them into one of her bags. Then, without saying a word, she turns around, now facing the entrance to her house. Calmly, she opens the door and enters the house, making sure to close the door behind her as she did. Before she shut the door completely, she mutters a quick, yet quiet, "Thank you."

She hopes Yamamoto heard that…because she isn't going to open the door to say it again. She's had enough excitement for one day and all she wants to do now is flop onto her bed and read manga. She can install the lock on her door tomorrow—

"See you around, Tsuna!" Tsuna nearly jumps when she hears Yamamoto's voice through the door. Why…is he still here?

" _You know what—fuck this, I'm done!"_ Tsuna removes her shoes in the genkan, making sure to turn them around so that they faced the door before making her way toward the stairs. As soon as she had gotten to her room on the second floor, Tsuna flops down onto the bed, grabs a pillow, and screams into it.

…

…

Tsuna wakes up the next morning an hour before her alarm clock is suppose to go off. It is eight in the morning and for some reason, her mother is calling out to her from downstairs.

" _What does she want?"_ A reasonable question, because the only time Sawada Nana has ever woken Tsuna up was when she needed help. Yawning loudly, Tsuna pulls the covers off of herself and gets out of bed—er, rather, she falls off.

_Thud!_

Tsuna isn't exactly the most coordinated person alive upon waking up—probably because she is half-asleep. Or had been—the landing certainly did a good job at waking her up and why is her hair all over the place?

…

" _Not again…"_ Tsuna makes a face when she starts to search through her hair for the remains of her hair tie—assuming that it's still in her hair.

It isn't.

" _There goes a minute I'll never get back…"_ Tsuna has a love-hate relationship with her long hair. She loves it because it's _long_ hair and she hates it because of maintenance. If it wasn't for the fact that it is the _only_ thing keeping her spiky hair down, she would have cut it **all** off without a second thought by now.

After stretching out her arms and legs, Tsuna stands up and turns off her alarm clock before making her way to the door. She decides to change out of her flannel pajamas after she finds out what it is that Nana wants. She isn't in any rush to change out of her comfy sleepwear…

Or brush her hair…she can do that later when she actually gives a damn.

Yet another decision she immediately comes to regret when she enters the kitchen and finds Yamamoto Takeshi sitting at the table while Nana is cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Tsuna!" Yamamoto is grinning as he waves at Tsuna, completely disregarding her disheveled appearance.

Tsuna stares blankly at Yamamoto, unable to even think of a reason as to why he is even here. She doesn't recall inviting him over the other day. And he certainly didn't say anything about visiting her, either, so what the hell?

"I thought you might need some help with that lock, so I brought this!" Yamamoto holds up a toolbox for Tsuna to see.

Tsuna continues to stare. As obvious of a response as it is, she still wants to know _why_ Yamamoto thought it was a good idea to come over at eight in the freaking morning. Had it been anytime past noon, Tsuna wouldn't have minded. Except she does, because she just woke up, her hair is a mess, and oh god, _why_ didn't she brush her hair?!

_Fuck, **now** I care!_

"I didn't know you made a _friend_ , Tsu-chan!" Nana decides to join in the conversation as she walks over to the table, carrying two plates full of the omurice she has recently made. She sets a plate down in front of Yamamoto, setting the other plate right next to him. It's almost as if she is expecting Tsuna to sit in the empty chair next to Yamamoto…

" _Oh god…"_ Tsuna hopes her mother isn't making any assumptions. Though, considering the way Nana had said the word, "friend", Tsuna is out of luck. She should have expected it, considering what had happened when Tsunayoshi's Nana saw Sasagawa Kyōko in his room.

Speaking of Kyōko, Tsuna wonders if she will share the same crush Tsunayoshi had on the girl. She doubts it (though not completely), considering her past life's track record of developing crushes. That is to say, she barely developed any crushes. She _does_ recall having a crush on a fictional character from _Pokémon Black_ and _White_ (damn, N and his beautiful hair), which she finds a bit childish, considering that she was in _high school_ when it happened. It never happened before and it was quite the strange experience (the way her heart sped up for a fictional character).

Then senior year of high school happened and she realized she had a crush on her bisexual flirty jokester of a friend… Said friend later stated she wasn't interested in getting into any relationships, so a friendship was not at all changed by a confession, much to Tsuna's relief when she had made the text message because she _seriously_ needed to get it off her chest if she wanted to move on with her life. That still did not make the mixed signals from said friend any less confusing, because Tsuna could never tell when she was serious or not— _nobody did_.

_Crushes are fucking weird._

An opinion Tsuna has so far, based on her own experience. It could change…or not. Tsuna really doesn't care. Her first priorities, before anything, are to have friends before deciding to take the leap of faith that is romance. And considering how friendless she is (does Yamamoto really count?)…she had a ways to go before she can start developing any crushes.

_All aboard the SS Loveless!_

Sighing, Tsuna decides that it's too damn early for this shit and just sits down to eat, not even caring that she is sitting next to Yamamoto. It's better than having Yamamoto sit in the seat across from hers on the opposite side of the table. At least now, she doesn't have to put up with his staring…

…

…

The first thing Tsuna does right after finishing her breakfast, which she finishes before Yamamoto, is head straight to her room to change out of her pajamas. Right after that, she brushes out her hair, quickly thought of the pros and cons to wearing a headband as opposed to tying her hair up in its usual twintails, before sticking with her usual hairstyle. Feeling content with her reflection in the mirror, Tsuna makes her way to the door and opens it, nearly shrieking when she finds that Yamamoto is standing _just outside of her room_. How long has he been waiting?

"The lock?" Yamamoto asks as he holds up his toolkit.

"Oh…right…" Tsuna ought to get that lock installed before anything. The sooner it's on her door, the sooner Yamamoto can leave.

Or so Tsuna thought, because once that lock was successfully installed onto her door (it really didn't take too long), Nana decided to invite Yamamoto to stay over for lunch.

_How wonderful…_

"Do you have particular preferences?" Nana asks Yamamoto, ignoring the look of exasperation her daughter gives her.

" _Mama, what the fuck?!"_ Tsuna can't believe her own mother—actually, she can. This is _so_ like of Nana to do and considering that Yamamoto is the first person she has brought home in her entire life— _"Oh hell, she's taking initiative."_

When Nana sees an opportunity, she takes it. This is no different. Maybe now Tsuna won't be so lonely…she can only hope as she leaves her daughter alone with the boy she brought over. She ponders quite briefly if she should be worried that Tsuna has a boy in her room, but then shakes her head—it's far too soon for her to be thinking of such things. And even then, Tsuna never had any particular interest in anything other than manga and videogames.

For now, Nana feels quite satisfied with the sudden change in their daily lives. It's not much, but it's a start.

" _Good luck, Tsu-chan!"_ Nana smiles to herself as she makes her way downstairs.

…

…

Beads of sweat roll down Tsuna's face as she stares at Yamamoto…who is still in her room. Yeah—that's a thing…that might not change, because there isn't much to do around her house that _doesn't_ involve her room, considering the collection of manga she had organized neatly on the bookshelf and the game consoles she owns (once a gamer, always a gamer).

_Looks like we'll be here for a while…_

"So…" Tsuna begins. A nervous smile forces its way onto her face when she sees Yamamoto looking directly at her. His smile widens in response. "D-Do you like…Jojo?"

Yamamoto blinks and happily responds, "I don't know!"

…

…

By the time Nana starts calling the two down for lunch, reading manga had escalated into an intense game of _Mario Kart_. Tsuna has no idea when the shift began, but all she knows is that she so desperately wants to kick Yamamoto's ass because he is freaking _beating_ her. And the bastard barely even knows how to play—what even?!

_That is so not fair!_

The rage—it was _real_! And it is the reason Yamamoto stays even longer, because Tsuna _demands_ a rematch. Soon, Yamamoto finds himself being invited to dinner and seeing no reason to reject the invitation, he accepts it. He knows he'll have to explain his absence from today's baseball game to the other boys, but he finds that he doesn't actually care.

"Hey, we're friends…right?" Yamamoto asks during a particularly quiet moment between him and Tsuna while in her room.

Tsuna looks up from the volume she's reading, blinking a few times as she tries to process Yamamoto's question. Her face heats up when she realizes that she just wasted an entire day with the boy, just reading manga and playing video games.

"Well?" Yamamoto stops smiling.

"I…" Tsuna is at a loss for words. She thinks for a moment, asking herself the same question Yamamoto had asked her.

_Are we friends?_

…

…

"I guess…" is all she can say, but Tsuna finds that it is enough for Yamamoto when he starts smiling again.

"Okay!" He nods his head and goes back to reading.

Tsuna has no idea what to think about her situation. She finds it strange that a boy she just met is already asking her such a question. And yet, something about this makes her feel… _happy_. In hindsight, it is _still_ better than having to convince Yamamoto not to jump off the rooftop of Namimori Middle School. Even better, he hasn't injured himself yet, so this isn't bad at all.

_It really is better this way…_

It's almost April, now…and April means the beginning of Tsuna's (as well as Yamamoto's) first year of middle school. Yeaaaah…she isn't looking forward to it—not with the fact that she'll have to watch herself, considering that Hibari Kyōya and his Disciplinary Committee are a thing. Oh _god_ , are they a thing…

Tsuna certainly has her many escape routes to plan (she is going to study the fuck out of the structure of Namimori Middle School), as well as stamina and endurance to improve. Because chances are, she might end up having to outrun Hibari one day. _Maybe_ —it all depends on how her classmates treat her this time, because Tsuna isn't going to be taking anyone's shit.

Not now, or ever—unless that person (*cough*Hibari*cough*) is someone that she finds intimidating. Then she _might_ be a bit more tactful— **might**.

" _I should probably invest in a first-aid kit, then…"_ Because Tsuna is not going down without a fight if she happens to piss off Hibari—she earned her black belt in taekwondo for a reason and she sure as hell isn't going to waste it. As for why she had a black belt, it all started when Tsuna was four, going on five, and spending a rather rare moment with her father, who was actually _home._

She had asked him if she could take up martial arts, because she _finally_ figured out how to ask that question in Japanese. At the time, Tsuna had no particular reason to ask such a question—no particular incentive (unlike now). She just wanted to become the black belt that she never was in her past life. Upon hearing such a request from his daughter, Sawada Iemitsu had a rather _positive_ reaction, even going so far as to getting Tsuna a book on various types of martial arts to figure out which one she wanted to take.

Tsuna had to get help from Nana, because she couldn't read it. She would have asked Iemitsu for help, but he had decided to leave her alone to decide on her own. Iemitsu did later apologize for the inconvenience at the least…

For the sake of familiarity, Tsuna had chosen taekwondo because hey, that was the martial art she took in her past life and she _was_ good at it. Of course, she didn't know if taekwondo was even available to her in Namimori, so she was prepared for Iemitsu to try and convince her to take something else…except he didn't. He just stared at her for a minute before telling her to wait a bit (like three days), and bam, she was signed up and ready to take lessons starting the very next week.

Of course, what Iemitsu said when he told Tsuna was more along the lines of, "I did some searching and would you look at that—a dojo just recently open! How lucky, huh?"

It sounded so coincidental at the time, and looking back at it now, it most certainly _was_. Tsuna has a strong feeling that strings were pulled during those three days she had spent waiting, which is how that dojo (or dojang, if one wishes to use the Korean term) came to be. Not that Tsuna is complaining or anything— _especially_ not now. Tsuna _really_ lucked out.

_Holy hell, I'm not defenseless._

Though, now that Tsuna recalls the type of person Iemitsu is, according to memory, she is rather surprised with how much more _attentive_ Iemitsu is to her, in comparison to Tsunayoshi's Iemitsu. She wonders if it's because she is his daughter…or maybe it's because she showed an interest in something that will most likely benefit her in the future…

Honestly, Tsuna feels as though it's a mixture a both, with most of it leaning towards the latter. It feels completely unfair to Tsunayoshi, considering his unfortunate experiences. But what can she even do?

_It's not like I have any control over this…_

At the very least, she isn't stuck with the moniker of Dame-Tsuna. The day that people try to make that a thing is the day she'll flip a table and choke a few punks.

_I have enough nicknames anyways, thank you very much!_

Like Kuri-Tsuna—which was a nickname given to her in an attempt to poke fun at her spiky, brown hair. The nickname was basically comparing her hair to the spiky, brown shell of a chestnut. It wasn't exactly the most creative nickname, nor was it one that Tsuna found insulting. It was, however, _annoying_ when her classmates started a trend of calling her that while tugging at her hair. It started near the end of kindergarten and carried over to first grade, where she had the luck of seeing some of her former classmates there, alongside some new faces that quickly picked up their behavior towards her. Eventually, Tsuna had enough and nearly punched a boy in the face, because he had no fucking business picking on her when his hair was _also_ spiky (albeit, black).

_Nearly_ —she had enough self-control and fear (of backlash) to keep her hands to herself. And the situation ended up in her favor when the teacher refused to believe that such a threat could come from a quiet girl like her. Tsuna had made an enemy out of Mochida Kensuke (fuck, that name actually sounds familiar) on that day and while he proved himself to be a pain in the ass over the years, nothing could _ever_ take away the satisfaction Tsuna got from getting away with so much shit. There truly was an advantage to being underestimated by the teachers. It's laughable and maybe even a bit sad, but it gave Tsuna an opportunity to get back at those who picked on her. There's only so much she can take and only so much anger she can control…

_Man, I'm such an asshole…_

Tsuna is quite aware she isn't exactly the nicest person around when pissed off, but when push came to shove…she had to. And really, she _has_ to, considering what her future now entails. She still isn't looking forward to it and she has a _lot_ to prepare for before Reborn shows up.

…

The first thing Tsuna does after Yamamoto leaves is go straight to her room. She walks up to her bookshelf and looks around before taking out the seventeen volumes that made up _Vento Aureo_. She fumbles with them for a moment, sighing when she ends up dropping them anyways. She face palms when she realizes that maybe it would have been a smarter idea to take a few volumes at a time. She then shrugs and decides to deal with it later after she finishes bathing.

_Whatever…_

Half an hour passes before Tsuna returns to her room. She has a towel over her shoulders, her long hair still damp from the bath. She is exhausted, but not enough to call it a night just yet. She collects the mess of manga on the floor and sets it in a neat stack next to her bedside. Nodding her head at a job well done, she grabs the first volume to the series and flops down onto her bed to read. She is ready to binge-read as much as she can before midnight.

Except she only manages to get through five volumes before passing out at a quarter past ten. Ten more minutes pass before the door opens and Nana looks in to check on her daughter. She smiles at the sight of her sleeping daughter and decides to turn the lights off for her.

"You've had quite the productive day today, haven't you, Tsu-chan?" Nana sure feels it was productive for Tsuna—because she made a friend!

…

…

The next day starts off better than usual—Tsuna wakes up to her own alarm clock. Yamamoto doesn't make a surprise visit, either, allowing Tsuna to have some time to herself. And what better way to spend it then to go shopping for cute underwear?

_Let's do this!_

Today, Tsuna feels like wearing her hair down with a black headband. She wears an orange turtleneck with jeans and feels especially confident about her appearance, putting her in a rather good mood. Her mood only gets better when she finds a good number of cute underwear (in her size, too) at the store.

It is on her way home that Tsuna finally comes across Yamamoto. Unlike yesterday, Tsuna doesn't mind bumping into Yamamoto, though she would have preferred it if he had at least given her a heads-up about paying her any visits. It is the least he can do on such a short notice.

"Actually, I'm here to deliver sushi!" Yamamoto explains himself, holding up the order a certain Sawada Nana had made. "So are you feeling better?"

"Huh?" Tsuna blinks.

"You looked rather tired when I left you the other day, so I decided that maybe you wanted to be on your own today." Unbelievable…Yamamoto understands how she works. "It's okay if you don't feel like talking to me right now."

"…Thanks." Tsuna can't keep herself from smiling. It feels so nice for someone to tell her that it is fine if she didn't want to talk. It is _very_ reassuring.

…

…

Tsuna and Yamamoto are together again come the next morning. Tsuna has her hair up in its usual twintails and wears an orange tracksuit while Yamamoto wears a blue tracksuit. Both preteens are stretching their arms and legs out, trying their best to warm up before they start jogging. There is a slight chill in the air, but otherwise, it's a rather nice morning.

" _Perfect for running,"_ Tsuna thinks as she tries not to regret the suggestion she made to Yamamoto the other day about working out together. She is completely capable of working out on her own, but Tsuna knows better than to trust herself, considering her procrastinating tendencies and her hatred for running. So she decides that maybe dragging Yamamoto along would be the best option she can take to get shit done.

It does wonders in getting her out of bed on time and out of the house without any complaints. Tsuna finds it difficult to take it out on Yamamoto, especially since he doesn't deserve any of her ire. And really, he doesn't deserve it, not with the way he keeps asking her questions in order to get an idea about her athletic ability (which is _slightly_ above average at best). He doesn't assume anything about it, knowing better than to associate weight with fitness.

"You ready?" Yamamoto asks Tsuna, waiting for her input. He has been ready for a while, but this isn't about him—this is about his friend.

Tsuna inhales deeply and then exhales before smiling. "Ready—let's do this!"

And so they start jogging at a light pace.

…

About fifteen minutes later, Tsuna feels as though she is dying and deeply regrets her non-active lifestyle for the fact that she isn't as fit as she would have liked to be. It had been enough to get her by gym class without any issues, as well as taekwondo, but not enough for anything past that. It probably doesn't help that it has been almost two years since she last attended a taekwondo class. Speaking of which—she needed to get a punching bag. It will do her some good to have one around to practice her kicks and punches.

But before that, Tsuna needs to make sure she can last another five minutes. Twenty minutes of jogging then a break—that is what she and Yamamoto agreed on since it seemed like a reasonable time. Then Tsuna realized how terrible her endurance is (it certainly took a dive). She seriously has a long ways to go…

"Are you okay?" Yamamoto, unlike Tsuna, is doing perfectly fine. "You want to take a break now?"

"Just…a little more!" Tsuna isn't going to give up—not when she's almost done!

"That's the spirit!" Yamamoto gives Tsuna a hearty slap on the back that nearly disrupts her balance. "Oops!"

"It's fine!" Tsuna is quick to reassure Yamamoto. "Let's…just get this over with!"

The sooner they finished, the sooner Tsuna can make use of the water bottle inside the backpack Yamamoto wore. However, something else came up before those twenty minutes were up. It all started out of genuine concern before escalating into complete horror as Tsuna regrets ever stopping and backtracking to an alley she almost passed. Because inside the alleyway, is a boy with black hair. He appears older than her and Yamamoto by maybe two years. At the moment, he is in the middle of beating up some random person with two _tonfas_. She almost misses this and when she notices, she feels her heart nearly stop—because she was just seconds away from jumping in.

_Holy shit!_

The sight alone is enough to make alarms blare up in Tsuna's head now that she actually _knows_ better. After all, there is only one person who fits that particular description and that person happens to be Hibari freaking Kyōya and what the _fuck_ is he doing, thrashing someone so early in the morning?

" _Actually, that sounds like him…"_ Tsuna finds herself thinking. _"That sounds exactly like him."_

Hibari sounds like the type of person who would be up quite early in the morning, doing rounds. Which is exactly what he is doing—not that Tsuna and Yamamoto would know. They are just witnesses, after all…witnesses who had gotten noticed because Yamamoto opened his mouth.

"What's going—" Tsuna is quick to cover Yamamoto's mouth with her hand, but isn't quick _enough_.

Hibari turns his head, his eyes focused on the pigtailed-wearing girl and the baseball-obsessed boy. He stares at them, the two staring back as they hold their current positions. Beads of sweat roll down the side of Tsuna's face the longer Hibari continues to stare at them. Yamamoto is mostly confused because he has no idea what the heck is going on…then Tsuna speaks, or rather—yells.

"We saw nothing!" Tsuna grabs Yamamoto by the arm and starts pulling as she tries her best to get them the hell away from the leader of Namimori Middle School's Disciplinary Committee.

Today is most definitely not a good day, even though it started out well enough. Tsuna can only hope that her legs don't give out on her.

Oh, how she _hoped_ …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **2-23-17 edited.**
> 
> A wild Hibari appears! You have **ChibiFoxAI** to thank for it, what with her suggestions. You also have her to thank for the panty war that had occurred between Tsuna and Yamamoto and the whole shoplifting thing.
> 
> Also, anyone who's read _Butterfly Child_ would know that I have a blue belt in taekwondo. I'm supposed to be a brown belt, but stuff came up, like a sprained toe and college. This is why you have SI!Tsuna with a black belt, because I was aiming for a black belt.
> 
> On the topic of _Butterfly Child_ , as well as _Metamorphosis_ , anyone who has read either should find the whole "first crush" situation familiar because, like the ADHD, asexuality, and taekwondo, it's also consistent in my SI OCs…except this time, you got a little extra (yes, I had a crush on N—leave me alone). But yeah, SI!Tsuna is capable of developing crushes, in case anyone was worried. Just know that while she is asexual, she is not aromantic. She does experience romantic attraction…like moi.
> 
> Speaking of crushes, I consider Tsuna's crush on Kyōko something that would stick around, regardless of gender. Since I'm on the topic, I should inform everyone that I ship based on chemistry and I really don't take gender into consideration (like—at all). I'm quite open-minded about it, too, and if this isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you drop this story now because I'll only disappoint.
> 
> Anyways, SI!Tsuna got pretty lucky with the whole taekwondo thing, because she just did it for personal reasons (just wanting that black belt). She got even more lucky because of Iemitsu, who is surprisingly more attentive (and proactive) with her, unlike canon!Tsuna. And while Tsuna is chubby, that doesn't mean her athletic ability is nonexistent. Like, here's the thing, you can be skinny, but be as athletic as the world's fattest cat—weight has nothing to do with athletic ability. Tsuna is average at best, but her non-active lifestyle really isn't helping at all, so she's going to improve that. I doubt she'll be slimming down any time soon, though—not with her eating habits, which she isn't changing at all.
> 
> By the by, I'm honestly happy with the positive feedback I've been getting, in regards to this SI!Tsuna. And as this chapter shows, SI!Tsuna won't always be snarky, sarcastic, and apathetic all the time.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it! I still do take suggestions and by the by, someone already took a crack at the shipping game and Hibari got suggested. Of course, there is going to be a reverse-harem—though, I guess you can say it won't just be guys that are involved (it's just that they're more prominent in number), I mean Chōko's harem game wasn't just limited to men and like the crush Tsuna has on Kyōko, Haru will still like Tsuna, regardless of gender. Again, if this is not the type of fic you wish to read, feel free to drop it.
> 
> That aside, this is about it for now, so until next time, everyone!


	3. An Unsettling Encounter

Yamamoto is beyond confused with why he and Tsuna are running away. But here he is, just letting her drag him along—because he wants to _know_ where she's taking them. Is this another game? Who knows, but from what he _does_ know is that Tsuna sure is running fast for someone who should have reached their limit by now.

"Impressive!" Yamamoto wants to say, but he decides to keep quiet, because Tsuna looks about ready to freak out. _"Why is that?"_

Yamamoto doesn't know. He especially doesn't know why Tsuna yelled what she yelled, because he is quite certain that they _did_ see something in that alleyway. Of course, now doesn't seem to be the right time to ask any questions regarding that. So he'll save his questions for later when Tsuna doesn't look like she's going to scream.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!_

Tsuna has no idea how she is able to keep running. Her thighs are burning, that's for sure, as are her lungs and she counts herself extremely lucky that her asthma didn't carry over into this life. That would have fucking sucked—not to say that things don't already suck, because they _do_ and she is bitter about it. So very, _very_ bitter, that she might as well have a pH of fourteen. Just as she was adjusting to Yamamoto's presence in her life, fate decided to throw a curve ball at her in the form of Hibari fucking Kyōya.

Tsuna wants to scream…she _really_ wants to scream. She also wants to stop, because _oh god_ , she _**needs**_ air. _"Not yet!"_

She manages to run for another five minutes before stopping in an empty alleyway. Deep down, she _hates_ how Yamamoto doesn't look like he's dying, while she struggles to stay on her feet. She really needs to work on improving her athletic ability.

_I'm going to die at this rate!_

She can appreciate how quiet Yamamoto is, because she is not in any mood to speak at all—not with how hard she's breathing. Her throat is so dry and it really _hurts_ to breathe. She is so out of shape and—someone is fucking _touching_ her!

_What the hell is this shit?!_

"HIIII!" Tsuna shrieks loudly and grabs the hand on her shoulder. She pulls down with enough force and adjusts her hold to allow her a better advantage when she follows through with a self-defense technique she has long since mastered. It comes naturally to her, as does throwing a person over her shoulder, never mind how much taller they are than her—she can handle it.

_THUD!_

And it is to Tsuna's absolute **horror** that she finds at exactly the last second that she just threw the last person she wanted to see: Hibari Kyōya. Her eyes widen when she stares down at the older boy. He stares right back at her, his expression devoid of any particular emotion.

" _Oh my god, I just threw Hibari onto the ground…"_ That is all that Tsuna can think as she continues to stare at the aforementioned Disciplinary Committee Leader. His silence frightens her, as does Yamamoto's lack of concern.

Of course, Yamamoto is far too astonished to have any concern towards his friend. He never knew Tsuna could be _this_ strong! It leaves him speechless as he wonders what else his short friend is capable of doing. He sure doesn't know—but he would like to.

Meanwhile with Hibari, himself, he is having the time of his life, just lying on the ground (note the sarcasm). He continues staring up at the terrified-looking girl, wondering how it is that she managed to catch him by surprise (something he will never admit to anyone, except _maybe_ Kusakabe—but only if he _feels_ like it). He can tell that she is a lot stronger than she appears. And though his expression is blank as he continues to stare, he is actually thinking—processing the events that have only just occurred.

This does nothing but makes Tsuna fear even _more_ for her life. She had died too young in her first life and it seems she is going to die again even _younger_ in this life—all because she threw Hibari "I'll bite you to death" Kyōya onto the ground. Just what was she thinking? Oh wait—she wasn't thinking.

_I'm just asking for death, aren't I?_

Tsuna's only regret is that she didn't even make it to the main plot of the story that has been intended for her in this world. "Hiiii!"

A tiny squeak leaves Tsuna's mouth when Hibari decides that the ground is no longer a suitable thinking place and stands up. His sharp, gray eyes focus on Tsuna after briefly looking at Yamamoto. He acknowledges that the boy is there, though it is the girl who is the current subject of his attention. He continues staring at her as an idea begins to form in his head.

Tsuna resists a desperate urge inside of her that urges her to hide behind Yamamoto. She holds back a shriek when Hibari suddenly takes a step forward towards her. She screams internally, the intensity only increasing when she finds herself face to face with the Disciplinary Committee Leader. She can almost feel her soul trying to escape from her mouth when Hibari deliberately makes direct eye contact with her (most likely as a form of intimidation—quite fitting for Hibari, actually).

A moment passes before Hibari opens his mouth…and asks, "Who are you?"

And just like that, Tsuna blurts out whatever it is that popped into her head because _oh god_ , she didn't want to _die_! "S-S-Sawada Setsuna, age twelve, and soon-to-be first-year at Namimori Middle School! I like reading manga, eating sweets, and my birthday's the fourteenth of October!"

Tsuna could have kept going, but she doesn't, because Yamamoto decides to pitch in—because it would be rude if he didn't, when Tsuna did.

"I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, age twelve, and I'm also a soon-to-be first-year at Namimori Middle School!" Unlike Tsuna, Yamamoto's voice lacks any fear and possesses a certain excitement that would have been contagious in any other situation. "I like playing baseball and my favorite food is sushi while my favorite drink is milk! My birthday's the twenty-fourth of April!"

For a brief moment, Hibari focuses his eyes on Yamamoto, allowing Tsuna a chance to actually _breathe_. Her relief is short-lived, however, when those sharp, gray eyes focus back on her, Hibari having dismissed the idea that Yamamoto could of any importance to him. A few more seconds pass and Hibari asks yet another question.

"What are your sizes?" he asks, without any hesitation whatsoever.

"What?" is all Tsuna can really say because Hibari caught her off-guard.

_Did I…did I hear that right?_

"Your sizes," Hibari repeats himself as if he is talking to someone who hadn't heard him the first time. "What are they?"

The way Hibari asks reminds Tsuna of Yamamoto when he asked what size panties she wore—that is to say that these two lacked any idea of the implications their questions could have. Except Hibari is even worse with his bluntness and Tsuna is at a complete loss at what to think of this. She knows one thing, though, and it's that she has to actually answer his question if she doesn't want to piss him off. It's not as if she has anything to hide, anyways.

Silence ensues afterwards as Hibari continues to stare at Tsuna, his eyes still looking directly into hers. As intimidating as it is (and dammit, Hibari fucking _intimidates_ her), Tsuna manages not to blink… and neither does Hibari. It's almost as if they're participating in some sort of unofficial staring contest. Tsuna would find it weird if she weren't busy fearing for her still rather young life.

Then, after almost a minute, Yamamoto decides to place his hand on top of Tsuna's head. That is what finally causes her to blink and when she blinks, so does Hibari. Of course, Hibari blinks because he has decided that he's made enough of an impression on Tsuna. As for Yamamoto…the boy is a mystery that Hibari isn't willing to solve just yet (if ever).

"I've got my eye on you." Those are Hibari's parting words to Tsuna before he goes on his way, not bothering to say anything at all to Yamamoto. He didn't even so much as glance at the boy, much to Yamamoto's _slight_ annoyance.

The instant that Hibari is out of sight and earshot, Yamamoto leans down and whispers into Tsuna's ear, "Don't hesitate to ask me for help around any perverts."

Tsuna blinks, her expression going blank when she realizes that Yamamoto has been able to understand the potential implications of Hibari's question—but failed to understand his own. Unbelievable.

_What is my life?_

To become Vongola Decimo, apparently, and Tsuna _still_ isn't happy about that. Sighing, Tsuna decides it could have been worse…Hibari could have kicked her ass. Except he didn't, he just asked for her sizes, despite the fact that she fucking _flipped_ him. She is incredibly fortunate that Hibari let her off so easily, for a guy who looks like he barely lets anyone off at all without so much as a scratch (for a lack of better terms).

"You thirsty?" Yamamoto suddenly asks, holding out Tsuna's water bottle in front of her face.

Tsuna blinks again and stares at the orange container. When Yamamoto told her he had gotten her a water bottle, she was expecting a single-use plastic bottle. It seems he went the extra mile for her…how considerate.

"Thank you," she says as she accepts the water bottle. It might just be a water bottle, but to Tsuna, it means a lot—really, it does. Yamamoto's kindness is the exact thing she needs after that rather distressing encounter with Hibari. "So…you're turning thirteen the twenty-fourth of April?"

"Yeah, I am!" Yamamoto is happy that Tsuna remembered. "And you're turning thirteen the fourteenth of October!"

"I guess I am…" Tsuna smiles weakly when her legs start to wobble a bit. "Do you wanna…continue this workout tomorrow? I don't think I can feel my legs anymore…"

Yamamoto stares at Tsuna for a moment before reaching out to hook his hands under her arms. His impeccable timing prevents Tsuna from collapsing onto the ground after her legs finally gave out on her. Today's strenuous physical activity had just been too much for her…

"I can carry you back if you want!" Yamamoto smiles as he holds up Tsuna. He laughs when she says nothing and just stares back at him with an expression that reminds him of a disgruntled cat. "I won't mind!"

Tsuna still says nothing, so Yamamoto decides to wait until she does. His smile never leaves his face as he continues to stare at his friend. It is only until a few minutes pass that she finally responds, in such a quiet voice, "Yes."

Tsuna's face turns a brilliant shade of red when Yamamoto laughs. How she wishes she didn't have her pride sometimes. She supposes that it's a side effect of her upbringing, being forced to act when push came to shove. She sure is more defensive than usual when the situation calls for it. After all, she didn't like taking any chances—but Yamamoto seems to be someone who isn't going to put up with that shit.

At least, not intentionally, since Yamamoto _is_ Yamamoto. He does things his own ways in which Tsuna can both expect but not understand. It's a complicated situation, but then again, so has everything else since the day she found out that she is a female Tsunayoshi.

" _It could be worse,"_ Tsuna tries to reassure herself as Yamamoto carries her all the way home on his back. _"I could be dealing with Griffith."_

And if there's one thing Tsuna is absolutely thankful for, it's that she wasn't reborn into such a gruesome and dark world as that of _Berserk_. The last thing she needs in any life is any more trauma.

_Noooooope!_

…

…

The next day, Tsuna wakes up feeling extremely sore and lacks all sort of motivation to continue working out when Yamamoto appears on her doorstep in his blue tracksuit. And yet, somehow, within the next hour, Tsuna leaves home with Yamamoto anyways. Let it be known that Yamamoto is an expert at persuasion without the use of words…or force.

" _How the fuck does that even happen?"_ Tsuna has no idea and yet, it still managed to happen. It's as though Yamamoto's presence was sufficient enough to make her change her mind. After all, it wouldn't be fair to send Yamamoto back home after he had walked _all_ the way to her house. And she had been rather ambiguous the other day when she talked about moving their workout the other day.

_Dammit…_

Sometimes, Tsuna feels that she can be too much of a pushover (as a whole), but at the very least, it isn't for the wrong reasons. That still doesn't mean she isn't in a huffy mood while trying her best to ignore the soreness in her thighs and legs as she stretches. If there is one complaint that Tsuna wants to voice, it's that Yamamoto is too damn happy for her to tolerate—at least now, when she feels so miserable.

" _Must…resist…urge to bitch…"_ Tsuna really doesn't want to be that type of person—not around Yamamoto. He doesn't deserve it.

And yet, sometime close to noon at the park, Tsuna has her second thoughts when Yamamoto decides that it would be a _brilliant_ (read: horrible) idea to hang her on the monkey bars. It takes every bit of Tsuna's willpower to keep herself from cursing as she tries to keep her grip. It would be inappropriate to swear in front of children, after all. Only she would be so lucky for Yamamoto to attract some children, who were now cheering her on alongside him.

"You can do it, Tsuna!" Along with resisting the urge to swear at Yamamoto, Tsuna is also resisting the urge to drop-kick the boy (which is something she most definitely can do, height differences be damned). With the way the children are also cheering along with Yamamoto, the urge is almost a little too strong to resist.

_Almost_ …but Tsuna manages. She also manages to make it across the monkey bars, though the palms of her hands sure aren't happy about it.

"Oww…" Tsuna shakes her hands vigorously in an attempt to ease the burning sensation she feels in her palms.

"I'll treat you to sushi if you want," Yamamoto suggests to Tsuna as they walk away from a playground. "It's almost lunchtime, anyways."

_Growl._

"Hmm…" Tsuna's face heats up with a red blush. She's pretty sure Yamamoto heard that and his laughter only confirms that.

"Haha, I'll take that as a yes!" Yamamoto might have thought it was funny, but Tsuna sure as hell doesn't. She certainly isn't amused with how her stomach decided to speak for herself, either.

_Although, I'd be lying if I say I'm not in the mood for sushi…_

…

…

"So how were you able to do that yesterday?" Yamamoto asks as he watches Tsuna practically inhale the sushi she had ordered. "That was cool!"

There is something about Yamamoto (both father and son) that makes Tsuna _waaay_ too comfortable with eating more than she usually does on a budget that isn't even hers. She has always been a big eater whenever the opportunity arose, but only on her own terms. If someone was treating her, then she would always try to eat less because she felt awkward with the idea of people, other than her own family, spending more money because of her. And she still does, though there isn't much she can do when she has a father-son duo encouraging her to order as much as she wanted.

So here she is, with a big plate of sushi in front of her. She certainly isn't holding back anymore, though she does take a moment to stop eating in order to answer Yamamoto's question. "I'm a black belt in taekwondo."

"Really?" Yamamoto stares at her in awe. "Wow, you're certainly stronger than you look…"

" _I could probably say the same thing about you…"_ Tsuna thinks to herself as she stuffs another piece of sushi into her mouth. Really, Yamamoto looks so lanky (and he _is_ ) and yet he is still able to pick her up with such **ease**. Tsuna isn't exactly the lightest person around in Namimori…not that she cares. The only time Tsuna even cared about her weight in her past life was when it concerned the existing issue about her mother's diabetes possibly being hereditary.

When Tsuna starts having issues fitting into clothes at the store, _then_ she would show some concern towards her weight—but only then and most of it is going to be complete annoyance over the clothes industry and bullshit sizes. And anyone who decides that it is their business to act as though her weight is _their_ issue (not hers) is only going to feel the brunt of Tsuna's annoyance (either physically or verbally—neither of which will be gentle). Otherwise, Tsuna is completely fine with her body. She never had any self-esteem issues in her past life regarding such and she sure as hell isn't going to start having any now.

"Maybe that's why that pervert decided to leave you alone." Oh god, is Yamamoto seriously going to be calling Hibari that?!

_Please, no…_

Tsuna needs to rethink her situation, because it seems as though Reborn isn't the only person she is going to have to worry about at this rate when it comes to endangering her life. It almost seems unfair, but then again, life never was fair for Sawada Tsunayoshi. And the same applies to Sawada Setsuna. It really was only a matter of time before she realized this herself.

…

…

Spring vacation has and will always be too short. Having someone else to spend it with only makes the days seem even shorter than they already are, is something Tsuna has come to realize. The remaining days of her vacation have been spent with mornings dedicated to jogging, in which Tsuna made it a habit to avoid Hibari like the plague. One would think she is being too paranoid, but Tsuna will have to tell them to shut the hell up because more than _twice_ did she and Yamamoto have to stealth sneak their way out of Hibari's proximity.

The Disciplinary Committee Leader was always out and about at least an hour before Tsuna and Yamamoto even left the Sawada Residence together. He was also all over the place, with no specific route in mind. How Tsuna had been able to avoid Hibari these past years, she didn't know. Would she care to know?

…

…

Possibly not, since Tsuna is not in the mood to fret over the many potential close encounters she could have had over the years (one thing at a time, Tsuna, one thing at a fucking time…). After all, if her first encounter with Yamamoto was after getting a baseball to the chest, then she's better off being blissfully unaware of what could have happened if she met Hibari first. That still doesn't make her first encounter with the guy any less scary…

_I am going to the same school as the guy in a few days…_

_I am going…to_ _**die** _ _._

Tsuna tries not to think too much about Hibari as she and Yamamoto walk out of the bakery in the Namimori Shopping District. She's had enough screaming (albeit internally) for one day and she's pretty sure it won't be good for her health if she keeps it up. Originally, Tsuna had been meaning to buy a cake (she has the money for it, as well as a huge craving for something sweet), but settled for a couple of steamed buns.

"Hey, the sakura should be in full bloom by tomorrow," Yamamoto suddenly speaks as Tsuna bites down onto a steamed bun filled with red bean paste. "You want to go to the flower-viewing tomorrow?"

"Hmm?" Tsuna looks up at Yamamoto as she chews. _"Is it that time already?"_

Tsuna had honestly been too preoccupied with avoiding Hibari and ignoring the urge to give up on their current morning routine to even notice. After all, Tsuna likes her spring vacation—as brief as it usually was (and is). There is only a few days left before the first day of school and Tsuna was not looking forward to it in the sense that she was going to be seeing a lot more of Hibari than she would like. It was hard to forget what he told Tsuna on the day she had managed to throw him onto the ground…

" _I've got my eye on you."_

" _I'm probably on his hit list…"_ That Tsuna won't be surprised exists—because she _feels_ it exists.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto is still waiting for an answer from Tsuna.

Tsuna blinks and then swallows. "Sure…why not?"

It's not as though Tsuna has anything better to do, apart from playing one of her many otome games. And if it means skipping out on a morning jog, then who is she to turn down Yamamoto? Although, if she were to be honest, even if she had declined, Nana still would have forced her out of the house. Nana always feels that she and Tsuna, as mother and daughter, should participate in the hanami every year. That it is their duty to fulfill an annual family outing, even though Iemitsu isn't present (he rarely is, and _thank god_ , Tsuna thinks, because her parents are sickly sweet when together and it's just _embarrassing_ ).

Tsuna has no idea what her canon counterpart had to put up with (what with the limitations there was in the canon source material and her hazy memory), but as far as she can tell, she is probably somewhat closer to her own parents than he ever was. As embarrassing as she finds Iemitsu (and hazardous—she still hasn't forgotten how he had almost dropped her as a baby), Tsuna still spends time with the man whenever he is home. At the end of the day, Iemitsu still is her father and he is at least trying. And by god, does he actually _try_.

"Hey, you don't mind if my mother comes along, right?"

"Not really, no."

…

…

When Tsuna leaves her room the next morning, she is wearing a white, long-sleeved dress with black tights. Her hair is up in its usual twintails and her expression is that of someone who is just done with the world. Normally, she wouldn't be against wearing an outfit such as the one she currently has on. However, she didn't pick this outfit.

She had woken up this morning to the sight of her barren armoire. All that she had been able to find inside was the dress she is now wearing and the tights that came along with it. In her arms, she is carrying a box that contains a pair of brown boots that she most certainly needs to break in. These clothes of hers…she doesn't remember buying them. She certainly never recalls seeing them around the clothing stores she has frequented either.

As much as she doesn't seem like the type to do so, Tsuna makes it a habit to scout out the available clothing stores in Namimori monthly for any cute outfits she might want to buy. Sometimes she gets lucky, sometimes she doesn't, and occasionally, she bumps into Mochida, who is _surprisingly_ picky about the clothes he wears. Seriously, who would've thought?

Tsuna just finds it funny, because Mochida is the last person she would have expected to be fashion sensitive, for someone she has nicknamed, "shounen protagonist" as a joke. And now she realizes the irony of that situation—because she _is_ the shounen protagonist.

" _It is me,"_ she thinks with the utmost annoyance. _"And karma is a bitch…"_

Tsuna will certainly think twice the next time she runs into Mochida…who she still, for the life of her, _cannot_ figure out **why** his name sounds so familiar. She decides to ignore all thoughts regarding Mochida as she makes her way to Nana. There are some questions she needs to ask her mother, after all, for it is Nana that Tsuna had instantly suspected for her empty armoire and the outfit she most certainly did not buy.

"Oh, it's a gift from your father, Tsu-chan!" Imagine the look on Tsuna's face when Nana answers her question. "How do you like it?"

"Uhh…" Tsuna needs a moment to process this information. She had not been expecting this—though, she probably should have, considering that, as absent as he is from her life, Iemitsu still manages to find ways to remind her that he is still a part of it regardless…whether or not she asks for it. Not that Tsuna is bothered or anything, she's honestly glad that she has a rather cute outfit to wear that actually _fits_ her.

_Where does he find the time to do this?_

She may never know… And she certainly doesn't know where the rest of her clothes are. Asking Nana about it only earns her a smile and a _totally_ not suspicious response of, "Are you sure you didn't put them in the wash last night?"

Tsuna stares at her mother for a full minute, her eyes widening slightly upon hearing the faint sounds of an active washing machine in the background. Well…that solves the current mystery regarding her missing clothes.

_Ehh, at least I won't have to do any laundry this week now._

Tsuna takes what she can get and to be honest, she can't find enough energy to even give a damn. It's just clothes.

_Ding-dong!_

Aaaaand someone is at the door! "Why don't you go get it, Tsu-chan?"

Tsuna doesn't even so much as gives Nana a response—she just does as she is told. And when she opens the door, it is Yamamoto who she finds at her doorstep.

"Morning, Tsuna!" Yamamoto smiles as he gives her a small wave.

"M-Morning…" Tsuna nervously responds, somewhat taken aback by the energy in Yamamoto's voice. He's been a lot happier as of lately, she notes. It's not bad or anything—it's just something she's noticed.

"Are you ready to go?" Yamamoto asks and before Tsuna can even say anything, Nana makes a _surprise_ appearance and hands him a picnic basket. "Huh?"

"There's a blanket inside, as well as some snacks for the two of you!" Nana quickly explains as she nudges Tsuna out the door. "I'm not done making lunch yet, so you can go ahead without me to search for a spot."

"Uhhh…" Beads of sweat roll down Tsuna's face she finds herself far closer to Yamamoto than she would like. The sound of the door closing behind her does nothing to ease her discomfort, now that it's just her and Yamamoto.

"It's probably a good idea to leave early, anyways." Yamamoto continues to smile, as though he didn't just watch his friend get pushed out of her house by her own mother. "Otherwise, all the good spots will get taken."

"Y-Yeah…" Tsuna nods her head. "Right…"

Tsuna feels that she is far more nervous than she should be. It might be her new outfit—it probably _is_ her new outfit. The dress is at a length that is shorter than she's used to, just barely brushing the tops of her knees. There is also the fact that Yamamoto is still staring at her—yeah, that's certainly something.

"You look really nice!" Yamamoto suddenly remarks, his smile never once leaving his face.

"I know, thanks," Tsuna says coolly, managing to keep a straight face…for all of three seconds. A luminescent blush renders her attempts at maintaining a stoic expression useless. "You look nice, too."

Yamamoto blinks and then laughs. "We both look nice!"

"Indeed." Tsuna really should know better than to try and act stoic—she's too damn emotional to keep up a façade for very long, especially around someone like Yamamoto.

_Some things never change, I guess…_

…

…

Fortunately, for Tsuna and Yamamoto, there aren't that many people around the area for the hanami. It's still early and that advantage gave them the chance to find the perfect spot (as perfect as it could possibly get). After setting down the blanket, Tsuna and Yamamoto take a moment to enjoy the view from under the sakura tree that held an abundance in blossoms. It is a rather pleasant sight.

It certainly taps into Tsuna's aesthetics and what better way to enjoy the hanami than with sakuramochi? At least, that's what Nana seemed to have in mind when she packed snacks for Tsuna and Yamamoto. Alongside the sakuramochi is also a thermos containing hot green tea. It isn't much, but Tsuna speculates that it is just enough to last her and Yamamoto until Nana arrives with the bento boxes.

And by the end of the day, Tsuna is probably going to be brushing off sakura petals out of her hair and clothes…not that she minds or anything. It's just something that Tsuna has grown accustomed to over the years. Still, it is rather strange to attend the hanami with someone other than her mother. It is also strange for Tsuna having to sit in such a particular way because of the dress she was wearing as well…

" _At least it's cute…"_ Tsuna thinks as she bites into the sakuramochi she holds in her hand. "Hmm?"

Tsuna blinks a few times when she notices a shadow towering over her. That's…rather strange.

_Oh_ _**shit** _ _!_

She swallows hard with an audible gulp when she sees the exact source of the shadow: Hibari Kyōya. What…the fuck…is he doing here?! Tsuna freezes still when Hibari suddenly kneels down to her level to look her directly in the eye.

"You've been avoiding me," he says.

A nervous smile forces its way onto Tsuna's face as she begins to scream internally. She does not like the implication behind Hibari's words—because that meant that everything she and Yamamoto have doing to avoid Hibari was all for naught. The Disciplinary Committee Leader has been fully aware that they were avoiding him. There is something truly scary about that.

Though, it is rather interesting to see Hibari around these sakura blossoms…but that's just Tsuna looking into the future (?).

"Hey, you're that pervert from the other day!" Everything that comes out of Yamamoto's mouth is just as scary because this guy just called Hibari a pervert—practically to his face, at that!

" _Am I seriously caught in between two guys?"_ Tsuna's expression goes blank when she realizes that yes—she is in fact caught in between two guys. And not in a good way, either (shoujo manga and otome games be damned). _"Oh hell no…"_

"I'll bite you to death, herbivore." Hibari has a rather scary look in his eye as he pulls out his tonfas.

_Nononononon_ _**onono** _ _!_

Tsuna has no idea what exactly it is that makes her snap—it just happens before she can even consider the consequences of her actions. She takes the sakuramochi in her hand and stuffs it right into Hibari's mouth, all whilst exclaiming, "Bite on this!"

Hibari is stunned into silence from Tsuna's sudden actions. He stays still as he focuses his gaze on Tsuna, who keeps her hand over his sakuramochi-filled mouth. It takes her a few seconds to realize what she just did, to which she reacts by awkwardly removing her hand from Hibari's mouth. As she does this, she begins to wonder why it is she that she had such a death wish around the Disciplinary Committee Leader. This is _so_ not good for her health.

_I'm gonna die now…_

Yamamoto just stares at the scene before him, not knowing whether he should laugh or worry, because Tsuna isn't looking so good. She _really_ doesn't look so good and he doesn't like how Hibari is still looking at her. Though, before Yamamoto can say or do anything, Sawada Nana finally arrives.

"My, you two have picked such a nice spot!" she happily proclaims as she carefully sets down the multiple bento boxes she had wrapped in a cloth. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting…"

Nana trails off when she notices Hibari. She stares at him for a good minute, her smile leaving her face ever so briefly. Neither of them moves—they just continue to stare, until…

"I didn't know you made another friend, Tsu-chan!" Nana's smile returns to her face as her eyes light up in joy. "You're welcome to join us if you want! I made hamburger steak!"

There is something rather eerie with the gleam Tsuna swears she saw in Hibari's eyes just now. Then she recalls reading that Hibari's favorite food is hamburger steak. Oh god, her mother just saved the day…probably. _"Please take the offer—please take the offer!"_

Hibari doesn't even have that much time to react because Nana unwraps the cloth covering the bento boxes and hands him one. From there, Nana hands a box to Tsuna then Yamamoto before finally focusing on herself.

"It's a good thing I made extra!" Nana is especially proud of her foresight, though she is completely unaware of her own obliviousness.

Not that Tsuna is complaining, because Hibari still has yet to say anything. He is paying very close attention to the bento box in his hands as he chews on the sakuramochi in his mouth. She can only hope that he takes the bait because she doesn't feel like dying today (nor is she in any mood to involve her mother in something she had started herself).

…

…

For someone who doesn't particularly like being around people, Hibari manages to stay calm as he eats with Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Nana. Nana is the only one of them keeping the conversation going, with Yamamoto joining in every once in a while because he feels it would be rude to stay quiet. Meanwhile with Tsuna, she is trying to keep a close eye on Hibari and at the same time, trying to do so without appearing so conspicuous because the last thing she needs is for Hibari to notice that she is watching him.

As for Hibari, himself, he is just pondering over his situation—how it managed to happen, how that pigtailed girl was even able to continue surprising him, and why that boy called him a pervert. He doesn't exactly like how the area is growing more and more populated as people gathered around the blossom-filled trees for the flower-viewing. Though, as a service to the woman who had given him a bento box containing his favorite food, he decides not to act on his discomfort—just this once.

"It's so nice to see you finally making some friends, Tsu-chan!" Nana decides to change the subject and bring the focus back on Tsuna and the idea that Hibari was another of her friends.

It is as awkward as it sounds and Tsuna has no idea what Hibari even thinks of it. She can only hope that Hibari isn't so harsh when he denies being her friend, because really, Nana doesn't deserve to get involved in this type of situation. And yet, when Nana mentions that she never got Hibari's name, the older boy surprises Tsuna by actually introducing himself in a polite (in his own way) manner.

"I am Hibari Kyōya, an incoming ninth-grader at Namimori Middle School." Hibari stops eating in order to introduce himself, even though he would rather not talk at all. He doesn't like talking when he's eating.

"Oh, that makes you Tsu-chan's senpai!" For Nana, this is good news because she has been worrying about her daughter entering middle school. After all, middle school is much more different from elementary school and while Tsuna might have Yamamoto as a friend, it is still better to have an upperclassman as guidance. "How nice!"

Sometimes, Tsuna is quite envious with how oblivious her mother can be to the situation. _"Ignorance is certainly a bliss…"_

"Maybe you can help Tsu-chan be a bit more productive this year!" Nana certainly has her hopes. "She already turned down an offer to speak at upcoming entrance ceremony at Namimori Middle School."

It is an offer that Tsuna had practically said, "Fuuuuuuuuck _that_!" to. Unless she is getting paid (which she most certainly is not), then Tsuna refuses to speak in front of crowds of people. She's done enough of that in her past life for a grade as a communication major and she refuses to go through that again without compensation. At least if she screws up, she'd have money on hand to make the entire experience worth it. Otherwise, she isn't taking any chances to give her classmates any more reasons to pick on her. And she most certainly does not want to give Mochida the shounen protagonist anymore ammo.

_Seriously, why is his name so fucking familiar?_

"I've heard." Hibari's response almost makes Tsuna choke on her food.

_Oh god dammit, he_ _**knows** _ _._

And if Hibari knows, that means he's been keeping close tabs on her and that certainly does not bode too well with Tsuna.

"Why'd you turn it down, Tsuna?" Yamamoto looks questioningly at Tsuna.

Tsuna swallows her food and simply says, "Because I don't want to."

And when Tsuna doesn't want to, she _doesn't_ want to… **ever**. There are better things Tsuna can do than give a speech, anyways—like play her otome games. Speaking of which, all she really wants to go home and lay on her bed like a flopped down quesadilla as she tries to determine which guy's route she wants to take as Alice Liddell (she is thinking of Blood Dupre this time around). It definitely sounds better than having an awkward hanami experience, such as this one…

Tsuna is counting down the minutes until Hibari decides to leave (she _really_ wishes he would leave already). That is assuming Hibari is going to leave in the first place, which doesn't seem likely with how _annoyed_ he almost seems with the fact that Tsuna is trying to avoid him at all cost. This is something she had not taken into account and she really wishes she had, because hell, it would have at least _prepared_ her for this.

" _Oh god, he's still staring at me…"_ Beads of sweat roll down Tsuna's face as she continues to eat under Hibari's intense stare. She really doesn't want to die—let her at least make it to college, when she loses the will to live under the duress of excess exams and homework.

…

Somehow, Hibari manages not kill anyone…nor does he beat anyone up, much to Tsuna's immense relief. And though he doesn't say it, Tsuna can tell from the way he carries himself that he is still keeping an eye on her. At least now that Hibari has actually introduced himself, Yamamoto won't be making the same mistake of calling him a pervert again. _Oh_ , how she can only **hope** that's the case…

After the flower-viewing, Tsuna spends the rest of her day at home in her pajamas, just flopped down onto her bed. She wastes every second of her free time playing her otome games and absolutely _refuses_ to interact with **anyone** after all of that. She needs her precious time to recharge—Hibari seriously drained the life out of her without even meaning to (and she knows he can do it deliberately if he wants to…with his tonfas—because they are most certainly not just for show).

The month is finally over, which now marks the start of a new month. There are only a few more days left until school starts and Tsuna isn't looking forward to it. She definitely isn't looking forward to wearing a uniform, but at least she has a say in the length of her skirt. She already has a set of tights (mostly black, but with some variety here and there) ready to go along with the skirt as well (as she usually does for her winter uniforms).

As the remaining days pass, Nana more often than not finds her daughter in her room with Yamamoto. The two are usually sitting on the floor, reading manga or playing video games. She still prefers it if the two did something more productive, but Nana is just happy to see that her daughter actually has a friend after being alone for so long. If Iemitsu were here, he probably would have been just as happy as Nana is…and possibly show some slight concern over the fact that the only friends Tsuna has so far are male.

" _Well, whatever happens, happens,"_ Nana thinks to herself as she sets down a bowl of mandarins on the kotatsu Tsuna and Yamamoto are sitting at as they pass the time just talking about random things. _"So long as Tsu-chan is happy…"_

And though Tsuna doesn't outwardly show it—not now, at least—she does seem rather happy to have someone else to talk to who isn't her father or mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **2-23-17 EDITED!**
> 
> If anyone has a headcanon they want to contribute, then by all means, go ahead, because _Dead-Eyed Tsuna_ author, **Wyrvel** , has had me completely sold on autistic!Hibari, which is a thing here, by the way (as well as some other things). And as far as I know (and I _really_ don't know), I'm not autistic, so if I start botching things up on this, **DO** tell me so I can correct it.
> 
> Lots of shenanigans in this chapter involving Hibari and so far, Tsuna is mixed between being intimidated by the guy and being willing to fight him, albeit not voluntarily. Somehow, things happened and Yamamoto ended up calling Hibari a pervert.
> 
> Somehow, during this edit/expansion, Mochida keeps getting mentioned to the point it's a running gag that Tsuna can't remember why she finds his name familiar. Mochida has also become some sort of fashionista and now that means I actually HAVE to pay attention to fashion in order to follow through with that trait…or at least get help from friend **kurobook**. He has also been given the nickname of shounen protagonist by Tsuna, because of his spiky black hair. There's also a bit of irony in the fact that Tsuna has her hair up in twintails—because that's typically considered tsundere hair. By the by, inspiration for Tsuna's hanami dress comes from _Persona 3_ 's Fuuka Yamagishi's outfit in _Persona 4 Arena_. And as an FYI, Tsuna is actually a 2nd-dan black belt—just wanted to make that known.
> 
> Credit goes to **InfinityRabbit** for the fact that Tsuna ended up flipping Hibari onto the ground. And in case anyone is wondering, hanami means flower viewing—like literally. Oh, and SI!Tsuna may or may not have a thing for otome games (games oriented at a female audience—best example would be the _Alice in the Country of Hearts_ series). Because as far as I can tell you, I jump on any translated otome game that I come across because otome games rarely ever get localized (and I am so salty about that). By the by, time setting is now officially 2010 and I already have a calendar ready to keep myself a stable timeline of sorts.
> 
> So like, I should probably mention now that polyamory is going to be a thing in this fic eventually. Though, in the meantime, ship-teasing shenanigans will ensue and SI!Tsuna is probably not going to be happy about it, if only because she wouldn't even know where to begin with how _ridiculous_ her situation seems. I mean, the last thing she'd like to be is some sort of otome protagonist—she's already a shounen protag and she's still so _very_ bitter about it.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I have a final in a few hours that I need to study for, so until next time everyone!


	4. Chestnut

The first day of school begins when Tsuna falls out of bed and wakes up just a mere minute before her alarm clock goes off. She stares at the ceiling with bleary eyes, feeling far more annoyed than she should be so early in the morning. She groans in frustration and resists the urge to throw her alarm clock at the wall when she goes over to turn it off.

_What a great way to start the morning…_

Tsuna thinks it's a good time as any to start counting down the days until Golden Week. It gives her something to do as she eats her breakfast. It also helps her get through Nana's unbearable cheeriness—that isn't exactly bad or anything, it's just that Nana is a morning person and Tsuna is not. Oh, she is most _definitely_ **not**.

_I don't think that's ever going to change…_

Tsuna tolerates Nana enthusiasm throughout the morning and even endures temporary blindness caused from the flash of a camera.

"Your first day of middle school!" Nana happily exclaims as she lowers the camera in front of her face. "I'm sure your father wishes he was here for it!"

Tsuna just nods her head as she rubs her eyes. _"Whatever you say, Mama…"_

Despite her overall annoyance, Tsuna feels rather happy with the attention. She just doesn't have the energy to show it. Not that she needs to show it, because Nana already knows—she just _knows_.

"I'll be going now…" Tsuna says as she puts her shoes on in the genkan. "Bye-bye…"

Tsuna trails off when she opens the door and finds Yamamoto at her doorstep. He is just as surprised as she is, because he was about ready to ring the doorbell when she opened the door. It is the last thing he expects, but he doesn't let it get to him.

"Oh…morning, Tsuna!" Yamamoto smiles as he removes his finger from the doorbell.

Tsuna blinks. "M-Morning…"

"Did I catch you by surprise?" A frown quickly replaces the smile on his face. "Sorry if I did…"

"N-No, it's fine…" Tsuna is surprised, yes…but Yamamoto doesn't have to apologize. "Is something wrong?"

"I forgot to ask the other day, but…do you want to walk to school together?" Yamamoto's smile wavers ever so briefly as he waits for an answer. Tsuna notices, but says nothing about it. Instead, she stops to think…and then simply responds, "I don't see why not."

It's probably better this way, anyways…because Hibari is at Namimori Middle School and Tsuna does _not_ want to go there alone—like **ever**.

"It's not like we go to different schools." Tsuna is _glad_ that isn't the case.

"You're right!" Yamamoto almost sounds relieved when he laughs.

Tsuna notices this as well, but again, she says nothing. She yawns rather loudly and proceeds to close the door behind her. "C'mon—let's go."

…

…

Tsuna is amazed when she manages to enter Namimori Middle School without any issues whatsoever…then she and Yamamoto go their separate ways, because they're not in the same class.

_Wonderful…_

Tsuna exhales shakily as she makes her way over to her classroom. She pays no particular attention to anyone, though she still keeps an eye out for a certain Disciplinary Committee Leader. For the most part, she has since stopped giving a damn about anything other than the things that are actually relevant to her.

_Just stick to the usual routine._

Which shouldn't be too hard, since Tsuna is quite used to not giving a fuck about anything. And it is _very_ easy for her to keep to herself when she doesn't know anyone on the same level as Yamamoto. Or so she thinks, until she enters her classroom and nearly bumps into a girl with mid-length brown hair and sparkling brown eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry—I almost didn't see you there!" The girl laughs nervously as she apologizes to Tsuna.

_Ba-dump!_

"Uhh…" Beads of sweat roll down the sides of Tsuna's face as she continues to stare at the girl. She is just…so very, very _cute_ and oh gosh, there goes her _face_!

"Is something the matter?" the girl asks with a small frown. "Your face is red."

"I-I'm fine!" Tsuna accidentally blurts out. She freezes when she notices that everyone's attention has focused on her…oh, hey, it seems some of her former elementary classmates have followed her here.

_How_ _**nice** _ _._

"Oh, it's just Buta-Tsuna making a scene!" says one of her classmates. "She never changes!"

_Well, fuck you, too, Hiromi._

At least, Tsuna _thinks_ that's Hiromi…she doesn't know. She recognizes faces first before remembering names, of which she has yet to learn. The only exception as of yet has been Mochida, who is thankfully not in her class.

_Seriously, why is his name so familiar?_

It's going to be bugging Tsuna for the rest of her life until she figures it out… "You're gonna need to try better than that if you think that's going to hurt my feelings, Hiromi."

Getting called a pig isn't going to make her feel bad about her appearance anytime soon. If anything, she feels flattered because pigs are highly intelligent animals.

_I should probably start owning that nickname out of spite…_

"That's _Hitomi_ —Hiromi's at Midori Middle School!" the green-haired girl retorts, cyan eyes flaring in anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but do I look like someone who cares?" Tsuna's sass is especially strong today, for someone who actually _does_ care a lot. It's a force of habit—it's a miracle that she's managed not to stutter.

_Don't fuck up—don't fuck up!_

"Wh-Why I—!" Hitomi sputters for a few moments before deciding, albeit reluctantly, that she's been defeated. It earns her a few laughs from a few of her male classmates and her face turns red as a result.

" _I better watch my back now,"_ Tsuna thinks to herself as she makes her way to the empty desk in the third row. She tries to avoid making any unnecessary eye contact now that she's made her first impression on everyone. Honestly, she should have waited a few days before doing something like that… _"Oh well…"_

"So I'm assuming you know that girl, right?" a girl with long, black hair and dark eyes asks Tsuna. She is sitting in the desk to the left of Tsuna's, looking far too amused for comfort.

"Uhh…more or less?" Tsuna doesn't really know Hiromi— _Hitomi_. Wow, she's not even sure if she's purposely misremembering her name or having actual memory problems—which she actually has (good ol' ADHD, back at it again with that shitty memory aesthetic). "She's just someone I _vaguely_ remember from elementary school."

Vaguely is putting it lightly, but Tsuna has no idea what else to say. It's the best she can say on such a short notice, to someone she barely knows and—wow, this girl is really _pretty_.

"So…Buta-Tsuna?" the girl looks questioningly at Tsuna, to which she replies, without even thinking, "Buhi."

…

…

"Pffft, ahahaha!" the girl starts to laugh, finding Tsuna's antics rather funny. At the same time, she also finds something endearing about them as she watches Tsuna's face turn a brilliant shade of red. "Ahhh….I'm Kurokawa Hana, by the way."

"Sawada Setsuna—call me Tsuna." Tsuna resists the urge to slap herself on the forehead for being too forward with someone she just met and— _"Kurokawa Hana?"_

_Wait a second…wait a fucking second—_

"And I'm Sasagawa Kyōko!" the brown-haired girl from earlier pipes up as she sits in the empty desk next to Hana. "It's very nice to meet you!"

"Uhhh…" is all Tsuna can say as she stares at the two girls. She feels her face heating up the longer she stares, to the point where she has to look away. She covers her face and tries to avoid making anymore eye contact as she quietly says, "Nice to meet you too."

Her face feels as though it's on fire when she hears Hana and Kyōko laugh.

_I'm gonna die…_

If Hibari doesn't kill her first, than Kyōko's radiance and Hana's surprise cordiality will.

_So much for not giving a fuck…_

Tsuna is on the verge of turning into a puddle of mush because she has never felt so awkward around two girls she barely even knows as people. The concept of fiction versus reality reared its head very hard by showing her that these two girls were no longer just characters, but actual _people_.

…

…

Come lunchtime, Tsuna finds herself getting asked by Kyōko if she wants to eat with her and Hana. Tsuna has a hard time making up an excuse to turn her down, because it is too damn early for her to interact with people she barely knows and oh god, why is friendship such a hard concept to grasp when it matters the most?!

_Someone, help me!_

Fortunately, help does come to Tsuna in the form of Yamamoto barging into her classroom, loudly exclaiming, "Do you wanna eat lunch together, Tsuna?!"

Yamamoto's enthusiasm catches the entire classroom by surprise, but no one is more surprised that Tsuna, who cannot _believe_ his impeccable timing. She'd make a comment about his lack of an inside voice, but right now, she is just so relieved to avoid any more interactions with Hana and Kyōko—she needs time before she can talk to them with such ease. Maybe a few more days—a month, even?

_Maybe never?_

Tsuna doesn't know, but she is _so_ not turning down Yamamoto. "Give me a second…"

Yamamoto smiles widely as he waits patiently for Tsuna. He doesn't move out of the doorway, managing to block a few people who were wanting to either leave or enter the classroom. It is only until they mention it to him that Yamamoto moves to the side to allow them passage, but otherwise, stays where he is.

There is a slight chill in the air that Tsuna manages to notice as she makes her way over to Yamamoto. She can't explain the unusual phenomenon, so she decides to ignore it.

_It's probably just me…_

Tsuna really hopes things get better, because she cannot deal with the sudden change in her usual routine. She did _not_ expect to feel so flustered around Kyōko and Hana, two girls that she finds both cute and pretty (in that respective order). She wonders why she doesn't think the same way about Yamamoto, because she certainly recalls finding him adorable back in her past life when she was in high school (a freshman at that) and not a female Tsunayoshi. Then again, her past self never got a chance to interact with the actual Yamamoto Takeshi, who has so far managed to shoplift a pair of panties for her and proceeded to call Hibari Kyōya a pervert.

_Amazing._

Speaking of Hibari, her interactions with him so far are probably the reason for her lack of thoughts on how attractive she finds the boy is from an aesthetic standpoint. He has such nice hair that Tsuna wishes she had (and oh, how she _wishes_ ). He is also probably capable of killing a person and Tsuna does _not_ want to mess with that—like, **ever**. She wants to avoid him at all costs until she _has_ to actually interact with him.

However, avoiding Hibari is something that Tsuna cannot seem to do for so long. There is just something about her luck that has her bumping into the boy—quite literally, actually, after turning a corner.

"Uhhh…" Beads of sweat roll down Tsuna's face as she looks up at the taller boy (damn adolescents and their heckin' growth spurts). She finds that she can't bring herself to move, to which Hibari Kyōya responds by using a tonfa to push her out of his personal bubble. "S-Sorry."

Hibari remains silent, preferring not to say anything at all just yet. He does not look at all pleased with the sudden physical contact he has made with her. He brushes his chest a few times, his eyes still focused completely on Tsuna.

Awkward is a word that cannot accurately describe the situation, because there is more than just that. There is fear (oh so _much_ of it), paranoia (self-explanatory), some embarrassment (she does _not_ like how Hibari had to push her away because she just couldn't _move_ ), and alertness (why is the urge to fight so hard to suppress?!). Somehow, Tsuna manages to keep a straight face as Hibari looks down at her.

"Sawada," is all he says to Tsuna before turning to Yamamoto to say, "Herbivore."

Yamamoto blinks a few times, looking a bit perplexed for a moment. Then he smiles and closes his eyes, and in the cheeriest of tones, he says, "Pervert."

Or he would have, had Tsuna not cut him off the instant she realized what it was he was going to call Hibari. It cost Tsuna one of her rice balls, but for what it's worth, she just saved their lives by keeping Yamamoto from pissing off Hibari.

_Th-Thump th-thump!_

_Th-Thump, th-thump!_

Tsuna does not like how fast her heart is beating. She absolutely hates it and it is a goddamn miracle that she has not freaked out yet. She also hates that she has to stand on her toes in order to get _anything_ into Yamamoto's mouth, because dammit, the boy is so fucking _tall_. Why is he so tall? And why is she so _short_?

_Maybe Papa was onto something when he said I took after Mama…_

Tsuna is hoping for a growth spurt soon—she's done having to climb onto things in order to grab stuff that is out of her reach or on shelves. She is also done with life throwing curveballs at her after trying so hard to stay out of the protagonist spotlight.

Hibari arches his brow at the strange sight before him. He is not sure what to make of it. All he can really do is stare…so it's all he continues to do.

Meanwhile with Yamamoto, upon seeing Tsuna's reaction to his attempt to give Hibari a bad nickname in response to the one he had given him, he decides that maybe he should refrain from doing so anymore. That still doesn't make Hibari any less of a pervert in Yamamoto's eyes. He'll just stop from saying it right to his face—that's all. Maybe then, Tsuna will stop looking as though she is on the verge of freaking out.

" _I don't think that's healthy,"_ Yamamoto thinks to himself as he chews on the rice ball in his mouth.

In a similar vein as Yamamoto, Hibari sees him as an herbivore—something that is unlikely to change at all—and Tsuna just so happens to be someone who has managed to earn his acknowledgement. He still has not told Kusakabe about her, nor does he see any reason to just yet. Instead, he decides that now is a good time as any to ask Tsuna a question.

"Long or short?" he asks Tsuna a bit too suddenly, nearly catching her by surprise as she is still in the process of recovering from a rather close call with Yamamoto.

"Wha?" Tsuna furrows her brow in confusion. She is not exactly sure if she heard Hibari right—nor is she even sure if she heard him at all. She hadn't been paying attention and that is something she does _not_ want to admit to Hibari, lest she invoke his wrath.

Fortunately, for Tsuna, Hibari repeats his question again. "Long or short?"

His lack of clarity still doesn't make any sense to Tsuna, but she heard him correctly this time. And she should probably give him an answer soon, because she can tell that Hibari is growing annoyed that she hasn't given him one yet. This is not good—because an annoyed Hibari means bad times all around for anyone within his vicinity and Tsuna does _not_ want that!

So Tsuna proceeds to answer Hibari's question by saying the first thing that pops into her head. "L-Long?"

There is a tone of uncertainty in her voice, but Hibari doesn't pay much attention to it. All he cares is that he has an answer. "…So that's your preference."

Tsuna still doesn't understand Hibari, but she nods her head anyways, because she is not taking any chances. Hibari stares at her for a few more seconds before nodding his head once. His job is done, so he no longer sees any reason to stick around Tsuna and the herbivore. So without even saying another word, Hibari turns and goes on his separate way, leaving Tsuna and Yamamoto alone in the hallway.

…

…

"The heck was that about?" is the first thing Tsuna asks as soon as she is sure that Hibari is completely out of earshot. She exhales shakily as she turns her attention back to Yamamoto. It is at that moment that she realizes she still has her hand over his mouth…and that she is still standing on her toes.

_How…long has he been putting up with that?_

_Gulp!_

Apparently, long enough for him to chew and swallow the rice ball she had stuffed into his mouth in order to keep him from calling Hibari a pervert.

" _Wow, that's…a thing."_ That Tsuna doesn't know how to feel about, much like the entirety of her second life. It is an unimaginable situation, that's for sure…that won't be changing anytime soon. _"Wonderful…"_

It takes every fiber of her being to stay calm and maintain a stoic expression when Yamamoto removes her hand from his mouth. She manages for five seconds before Yamamoto asks, upon seeing her now red face, "Are you okay?"

This only makes Tsuna's face turn an even darker shade of red in response.

_Today is not a good first day of school._

And Tsuna has had many to know better. Of course, it could have been worse—she is quite fortunate that, save for her and Yamamoto, the hallway is completely empty. So no one really saw anything. And even if they had, they sure as hell didn't stick around for too long. Such is the effect that Hibari's presence has on populated areas.

_Take what you can get, Tsuna…just take what you can get…_

…

…

A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of Tsuna's face when she finds herself on the rooftop with Yamamoto. This is so not something she should be having to deal with after her most recent encounter Hibari. Her stomach churns ever so slightly with discomfort as she recalls vague memories of what happened in the manga.

_Yeah, that is_ _**so** _ _not going to happen._

Not if Tsuna had anything to say about it. She is friends with Yamamoto and friends watch out for each other and god dammit, if there's one thing she can at least do right, it's _that_. So she tries her best to focus all of her attention to the discomfort she feels in her toes as she eats her lunch with Yamamoto. Then Yamamoto goes back to referring Hibari as a pervert.

Within the span of five seconds, Tsuna goes through the five stages of grief. Acceptance shows itself in the form of the blankest expression her face could ever make.

_This isn't going to stop anytime soon, is it?_

If so, then Tsuna has to go about finding ways of keeping Yamamoto from _ever_ calling Hibari a pervert to his face. So far, a spray bottle is all that Tsuna can come up with on such a short notice as a form of positive reinforcement.

" _Maybe instead of science, I should go into psychology…"_ Tsuna thinks for a moment and decides she now has a backup in case science gets her nowhere. Mafia boss or not, she is _still_ going to college and if it means dragging everyone down with her, then so be it—she is **not** going through that hell alone a second time.

…

…

On her way back to her classroom, Tsuna has a chance encounter with Mochida Kensuke. It is to her annoyance that she finds Mochida standing at a much taller height. He seems especially proud of it, too, when he notices that she noticed.

"Shounen protagonist…" she simply says, causing Mochida's left eye to twitch slightly.

"Tsundere." Mochida has long since learned that two can play the game of making fun of hair tropes.

Tsuna knows not what to make of her relationship with Mochida, especially in regards to what the future now holds for her. It's strange, but Mochida's presence gives her a sense of stability—because she knows how to deal with him. She's had years of experience after all.

"I'm not calling you senpai, so don't even try." Tsuna decides to get that off her chest now before Mochida says anything.

Mochida scowls. "And what makes you think that I care about that?"

_Oh, I can think of a few things that show you care._

"Aww, are you still annoyed that I didn't skip a grade like you?" Tsuna knows she shouldn't patronize Mochida, but it's so easy to when he leaves himself open.

"At least I got out of elementary school before you!" Mochida boastfully proclaims as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Well, I can't deny that." Of course, she knows that the only reason Mochida got out before she did is because he found out that she turned down an offer to skip a grade. His response to that was to study his ass off so he could get the same offer as her and take it the first chance he got it—which he did. "So it's been nice talking to you, but I have to get to class."

"Admitting defeat?" Mochida sneers.

"What—no…I just don't want to be late." Tsuna makes a face. Mochida should know better—neither of them are the type to admit defeat. "Unlike you, I have first impressions to make and if I find that someone knows about my fear of balloons, I'm coming for you and your clothes."

"We had a deal, Sawada!" Mochida response is instantaneous. His stance is much more defensive now, with no trace of his previous cockiness whatsoever.

"And I'm just making sure you're holding up to it." It really pays to have a line that she and Mochida won't cross, as silly as it sounds.

"Hmph…" Mochida crosses his arms and averts his gaze. "Well, I haven't said anything."

"And neither have I," Tsuna replies. "As I was saying, I need to get going, so see ya around, shounen protagonist."

"Yeah, yeah, see ya around, tsundere." Mochida decides he's had enough interactions with Tsuna for one day.

Though she'll never admit it, Tsuna is happy to see Mochida hasn't changed much…sudden growth spurt aside. It'll take her a while to adjust to it, but otherwise, nothing has changed and she finds some comfort in that. She still cannot figure out why Mochida's name sounds so familiar, but she'll worry about that some other day.

_For now, class…_

The rest of the day goes by as uneventfully as possible and Tsuna cannot be any happier. She still has some difficulties interacting with Hana and Kyōko, but that's nothing time won't solve—hopefully.

After class is dismissed, Tsuna finds Yamamoto waiting outside of her classroom. She is not that surprised, but that strange chill in the air from earlier makes its sudden return. She shudders, but otherwise doesn't think too much about it…because she wants to go home— _now_.

_Home home home homehome_ _**homehome** _ _…_

Tsuna appreciates Yamamoto's silence as they walk home together. She appreciates it because she has no more energy to expend. Today has been quite an exhausting day for her and there is a likely chance that tomorrow will be the same. So Tsuna begins to consider her options, because she needs a plan if she wants to get through school as painlessly as possible.

_Escape routes._

Perfect—Tsuna needs to figure out the ins and outs of Namimori Middle School in order to map out escape routes in case she needs to make an emergency exit. Which is highly likely, with her shitty luck. So she now has a plan for tomorrow.

_Excellent._

And come the next day, that plan quickly goes out the window. Because the instant Tsuna steps away from Yamamoto to start looking around the school building, she comes across Hibari Kyōya. He is in the middle of beating up some poor sap who had the unfortunate luck of pissing him off. Tsuna stares at the scene before her for a few seconds before prompting turning and walking away.

_Nope!_

Yamamoto does not at all question Tsuna when she returns to his side on the rooftop after taking a small detour to explore the place. He tries not to show it, but he feels rather happy that she is back.

"Do you need any help?" Yamamoto decides to ask. "Because I can help you if you want."

"Yes, please…" Tsuna doesn't even hesitate when she accepts Yamamoto's offer. "Not today, though…"

Because she has seen enough of Hibari for one day—she just has.

…

…

The next day isn't any better and neither are the days that proceed afterwards. Tsuna just had the unfortunate luck of coming across Hibari whenever she was on her own—because she and Yamamoto went on their separate ways to cover more ground. Not that Yamamoto had any luck, either, because more often than not, he was being swarmed by girls.

_Should have seen that coming…_

Except Tsuna didn't and now she is paying the price by realizing far too late that she just made friends with a boy with a female fanbase. And that price happens to be a one-way ticket to shoujo hell.

_Where love tropes run rampant and drama lurks in every possible corner._

_And girls throw other girls under a bus for a pretty boy who may or may not even be interested in them._

Tsuna can't even believe her luck when she finds a mean note in her shoe locker. It's something straight out of a manga, that's what this shit is. She's not even sure if she fits the bill to be a typical shoujo protagonist in the first place, which is why she finds her current situation so ridiculous.

"Who's it from?" Yamamoto asks as he looks over Tsuna's shoulder, completely disregarding her personal space in order to read the note in her hands.

Tsuna stares at her friend in awe, completely baffled with his close proximity on such a short notice. It's not uncomfortable—it's just that Yamamoto is doing it here…in front of everyone else as they _stare at them_.

_Yamamoto—_ _**no** _ _._

Yamamoto makes a face and snatches the note out of Tsuna's hand. "Whoever it is, they're not funny."

_Yes, because the sender was totally trying to be funny._

Tsuna keeps her mouth shut as she watches Yamamoto tears up the note into tiny pieces. There is something rather satisfying about watching the pieces of paper slowly flutter to the floor.

"Do you want to come over to my place? I'm sure my dad will be happy to see you." Yamamoto gives Tsuna a reassuring smile as he waits for an answer.

Tsuna stares at him for a moment and decides that she sees no reason to turn him down. "Sure."

Because at this point, she's damned if she turns him down and damned if she doesn't. Whatever she does now doesn't matter.

_Such is the way of shoujo hell._

Tsuna's luck doesn't show any signs of improving as she continues her quest to map out Namimori Middle School. She just keeps stumbling upon Hibari without ever meaning to. She considers herself very fortunate that he never really does anything about it. Hibari ignores her for the most part, sometimes even referring to her by Sawada as a sort of greeting…to which Tsuna would usually just walk away because nope—just _nope_.

_Nope nope nope nope nopenopenope!_

A small part of Tsuna feels that Hibari gets some sort of entertainment out of her failed attempts to avoid him. It's not exactly news to anyone—Hibari especially—that she's been trying to avoid him. That still doesn't make her feel any better, because she is _really_ trying her hardest.

_Just let me have_ _**something** _ _for once!_

After two weeks, Tsuna _finally_ manages to start making a map. It isn't much, but it's certainly a start. And then Hibari decides to drop by to investigate some of the messages he's received about suspicious behavior.

" _Fuck, I really_ _ **am**_ _acting suspicious_ …" Which turns out to be the fastest way to pop up on Hibari's radar, as Tsuna quickly finds out when she looks up from her map and sees Hibari standing in front of her.

Hibari looks at her with such an intense stare as he holds out his hand. Tsuna stares back at him in confusion, wondering what it is that he wants. It takes her almost three minutes to realize that he is asking for her map. And when she hands him the paper, he gives it a brief look over before tearing it up and throwing it away in a nearby trashcan. He walks away after that, leaving Tsuna alone with her thoughts.

_Is it really worth making a map?_

Tsuna feels that it isn't and this particular encounter makes her feel that she's better off trying not to piss off Hibari. So she decides to call it quits in making a map of Namimori Middle School and spends the rest of her free time with Yamamoto. She notices quite quickly that Yamamoto seems happier when he smiles—because his eyes are also smiling.

_At least one of is happy…_

Tsuna sighs, feeling emotionally spent as usual. And yet, when Yamamoto starts talking about baseball, she finds that she can't help but smile.

…

…

Come the third week of school, Tsuna finds herself on her own when the baseball club recruits Yamamoto into their ranks. She is not even surprised, because she has certainly heard enough people talking about Yamamoto's baseball skills. The boy is rather talented, but Yamamoto admits that he might have slacked off during these past few weeks.

"I spent so much time with you that I forgot to keep practicing…" Yamamoto laughs awkwardly when he explains to Tsuna why he won't be walking with her to and from school anymore. "So it might be a while before I have any free time…"

"Okay…" Tsuna can understand that…now if only Yamamoto would stop staring at her chest. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm just remembering the day we first met." Yamamoto scratches the back of his head. "I mean—has it gotten any better?"

"The bruise is gone if that's what you want to know." Tsuna went a full two weeks of having issues sleeping on her stomach until the bruise finally healed…not that Yamamoto needs to know, because he still seems rather guilty about the incident. "It's not your fault."

Yamamoto blinks a few times and then smiles. "If that's what you say!"

Tsuna sighs and shakes her head. Yamamoto really needs to learn how to be a bit more honest about how he actually feels sometimes. Of course, she's not doing any better herself…

_We need better coping mechanisms…_

When they are done eating lunch, Yamamoto walks Tsuna to her classroom. He asks her if she has a cellphone, which she does…except she left her phone at home. Yamamoto laughs when he says his is at home as well.

"Do you wanna exchange numbers tomorrow?" Yamamoto feels it would be a good way to stay in touch with Tsuna.

"Sure…" Tsuna doesn't see why she shouldn't. She might as well let this be the moment she finally makes the shift from text messages to email—because she sure as hell doesn't know how that works just yet. She's never really used her cellphone for anything other than calling her own mother.

So Yamamoto spends the entirety of tomorrow's lunchtime teaching Tsuna the basics about emails. He is a bit surprised to see that Tsuna's cellphone lacks a keitai strap, since she seems like the type to have one. So as he continues on with his lesson, he wonders what kind of strap Tsuna would like.

"Do you have a favorite type of animal?" he suddenly asks.

"I like birds," Tsuna responds automatically. "They're soft and cute…why?"

"Just asking!" Yamamoto laughs and smiles. It's a lie, but Tsuna doesn't know…

She finds out the day Yamamoto turns thirteen, as she is handing him a bag of cookies she made the night before for him. He holds a keitai strap in front of her face, smiling when he sees her eyes widen upon seeing the tiny sun conure plush dangling at the end of the strap.

"Wh-What?" Tsuna has a hard time speaking, very much mesmerized by the charm.

"It's for your cellphone!" Yamamoto explains, laughing when Tsuna snatches the strap out of his hand.

"I can't believe you…" Tsuna is not mad—she's just surprised. It's supposed to be Yamamoto's birthday today and here he is, just giving her a present as though it's nothing. The plush is soft to the touch, she quickly finds out. She feels her face heating up the longer she keeps touching it—she just can't bring herself to stop. It's so soft… "Soft…"

It's also very cute and a _bird_.

_Birdbirdbirdbirdbirdbird…_

It's everything that Tsuna can want on such a short notice. She feels so happy, that she feels herself shaking. She almost forgets to give Yamamoto the bag of cookies in her hand—almost. The crinkling of the bag quickly reminds her that she has a gift to give him.

"I know you like milk, so I thought you'd like something to go with it." Tsuna feels rather bad that she sounds so distracted, but she just can't stop touching the bird plush. It's almost embarrassing, but Yamamoto doesn't mind—he just takes the bag of cookies from her and thanks her.

…

…

Hana catches Tsuna by surprise Monday morning when she compliments her cute cellphone charm. "Where'd you get it?"

"Yamamoto gave it to me," Tsuna replies as she continues to rub her thumb over the plush in circular motions. "I can try asking him if you want."

Hana shakes her head. "Nah, I'm good."

"Okay." Tsuna has never been one to keep a conversation going. She knows Hana is trying to strike up a conversation, but she just _sucks_ at talking.

" _Well that went nowhere…"_ Hana sighs and decides to try again later. It's difficult trying to talk to Tsuna, which makes it even harder for her to learn more about the girl. She doesn't trust what she's heard from everyone else and right now, there isn't any point in asking. Everyone is too busy talking about how Yamamoto Takeshi is capable of being friends with anyone, including Buta-Tsuna.

She'll admit that she's also curious about the two—but that's it. Otherwise, she is more interested in befriending Tsuna. Out of the sea of new faces in her classroom (of which does not include Kyōko), Tsuna is the only one that Hana wants to bother trying to befriend. It's been quite the experience, but Hana hasn't seen any reason to give up just yet.

Meanwhile with Kyōko, she is perfectly fine going at her own pace at getting to know Tsuna. She is like that with just about everyone she meets and Tsuna is certainly no exception. It's why Hana feels that Kyōko is on her way to becoming the most popular girl in school. With her optimism and kindness—it really wouldn't be that much of a surprise.

It makes a huge difference when Kyōko finally arrives to the classroom, practically lighting up the room with her radiant smile. She greets everyone, Tsuna especially, even though the pigtailed girl has issues even looking at Kyōko. Kyōko doesn't mind, though—because at the very least, Tsuna responds back with a quiet, "Mornin'."

Hana can't help but smile. She just finds it so funny that Tsuna is the same girl who managed to sass Kuroki Hitomi without any issues. And from what Hana knows, it's that Hitomi has an older brother who is part of the Disciplinary Committee, so not a lot of people mess with her upon finding out…

" _I wonder…"_ Hana turns her attention back to Tsuna. "Did you know that Hitomi's older brother is part of the Disciplinary Committee?"

Tsuna stops what she is doing as she freezes still for a moment. Slowly, she turns her head to Hana, looking far more confused than shocked as she asks, "She has a _brother_?"

" _Oh wow, she didn't…"_ Hana wants to laugh—she really wants to laugh. Instead, she just smiles and replies, "Yes."

"Oh…" is all Tsuna can say as she focuses her attention back on her keitai strap. She really doesn't know what to make of this newfound information she has received. She isn't even sure if she should care. Disciplinary Committee member or not, Tsuna doubts she'll find the guy scary when Hibari Kyōya already exists. "That's good to know…thanks."

"No problem," Hana laughs. It might not be much of a conversation, but for what it's worth, she certainly finds herself entertained.

As for Kyōko, she just smiles. It's always nice to see Hana getting along with others.

…

…

Tsuna continues to ignore the stares directed at her and Yamamoto as they make their way to the rooftop during lunchtime. It's the same shit as usual, but Tsuna still makes sure to take her schoolbag with her. She is not one to take any chances after entering shoujo hell—which hasn't been that bad, so far. The most Tsuna has experience are the mean notes she finds in her shoe locker—which Yamamoto has always been rather quick to snatch out of her hands and rip them apart.

Other than that, it was nothing out of the usual of what Tsuna was used to experiencing. Run-ins with Mochida are far more feasible than ever, Tsuna finds…probably because of the deal they have going on with each other. It's not bad—it's just strange for Tsuna to be seeing things from a different perspective now.

Of course, all good things must eventually come to an end and come after school, Tsuna finds herself tasked with cleaning up the classroom chalkboard…because some asshole decided to be funny and mess with the cleaning duty roster. Being the shortest person in class, Tsuna feels highly annoyed with the difficulties she has with erasing the contents on the chalkboard that are out of her reach. As she jumps up and down, she can hear her classmates snickering in the background.

_Fucking assholes…_

She makes a face, but ignores them for the most part. She manages to keep her temper under control, which is a good thing because the last thing Tsuna wants to do is get in trouble for something as minor as this. Things start to look a little better for her when Kyōko walks over to her with a chair, having decided that Tsuna had struggled long enough.

"Thank you," Tsuna tells Kyōko, managing to find enough energy to smile. She certainly appreciates the boost the chair gives her—it makes her job all the easier. Though, it is as she is erasing the chalkboard that she starts to notice that something is off…she can't exactly figure out why at first, until Kyōko suddenly asks, "Has your hair always been this short?"

It is such a weird question, because Tsuna knows her hair is _anything_ but short. At the same time, though, her head feels significantly lighter than ever and _yes_ , she can tell the difference now that she's looking for it.

" _Did my hair ties snap?"_ is her first thought. It's a simple mistake for her to make, since she has gone through the situation more than twice. But it is difficult to ignore the air that she can feel on the back of her neck. Slowly, she brings a hand to the back of her head and feels around for what should be long hair—except she finds nothing. _"What the…oh_ _ **hell**_ _no!"_

It really is only until Tsuna looks down and sees the two large piles of brown hair on the floor that the reality of the situation finally sinks in. She feels such an unbearable urge to yell out in anger. She's mad—so very, **very** mad, that she almost wants to break something. Her hand clenches the chalkboard eraser as tightly as possible to the point that it almost _hurts_.

"Well, that's gotta suck," Hana can't help but remark as she sweeps the hair off the floor with a broom. It's her turn to sweep the floor and as she does so, she feels rather bad for Tsuna, because there is so much hair on the floor. It must have taken Tsuna ages to get her hair to that length.

"M-My hair…" Tsuna almost wants to cry. She really wants to, because she did _not_ go through all that hell of maintaining her long hair—just for it to end like this. "Ahh…"

Kyōko frowns as she watches Hana continue to clean up the mess on the floor. "Who could've done this?"

"Can't say I saw anything, but I _did_ see a group of girls leave just now." Hana didn't think too much of them initially, but now…she thinks much more differently of them. "One of them was holding a pair of scissors—"

_Thud!_

"Where are they?" Tsuna asks Hana after jumping down off the chair. "I mean—do you know where they are?"

Hana pauses for a moment to recollect her thoughts. After a few seconds, she nods her head and gives Tsuna an answer. "You didn't hear it from me, but they were headed towards the girls' restroom."

Tsuna stares at Hana as though she is the most beautiful person in the world, which Tsuna feels she is after receiving that tidbit of information from her. She briefly contemplates what type of gift would be appropriate to express her gratitude towards Hana.

_Let's save that for later._

"Thank you…I'll be going now." Tsuna gives the piles of hair on the floor one last mournful look before walking away.

Hana and Kyōko watch Tsuna leave the classroom. Afterwards, Kyōko looks at Hana and asks, "Are you sure you should have told her that?"

"Probably not." Of course, Hana doesn't care.

…

…

On her way to the girls' restroom, Tsuna comes across Mochida. It is the last thing she needs, because Mochida just so happens to be in her way and he starts to laugh upon seeing her new haircut.

"Isn't this nostalgic—looks like Kuri-Tsuna has made a comeback!" Mochida reaches out to touch Tsuna's hair, only for Tsuna to grab him _tightly_ around the wrist. "Ah!"

"Fuck off, Mochida—I am **not** in the mood." Tsuna's voice is dangerously quiet, her expression quite menacing.

Mochida sputters, but says nothing. He has no idea what to say nor how to react. Because the last time Tsuna gave him such a look was in the first grade, when she nearly punched him in the face. He is not one to back down so easily, but he knows better than to mess with Tsuna when she's like this.

"I'm leaving now," Tsuna says before releasing Mochida's wrist. She walks off without saying another word.

As soon as she is out of his sight, Mochida shudders and grabs his wrist. He can still feel her touch…

" _This better not bruise…"_ Mochida spends enough money as is to keep his skin looking flawless. He's not sure if he wants to waste any of his concealer on something as bothersome as a bruise on his wrist. _"Guess a wristband won't hurt my look…"_

Mochida considers himself lucky—because at least he isn't the poor sap (or saps) that decided to piss off Tsuna. It is _never_ a good idea to underestimate that girl.

" _How can anyone ever underestimate_ _ **that**_ _?"_ Mochida doesn't know and it annoys him that Tsuna has that advantage. _"Whatever…"_

…

…

Tsuna leaves the girls' restroom, wearing the blankest of expressions on her face. She cares not for the sobbing she has left behind her. She does not even blink when she sees that Hibari has been waiting for her outside of the restroom.

"What're you looking at?" is all Tsuna says as she deliberately makes eye contact with Hibari. She manages not to stutter, her voice as steady as can be.

Hibari just stares, watching in complete silence as Tsuna goes on her way. He takes note of her surprisingly short, fluffy hair. He doesn't recall ever seeing Tsuna come to school with her hair like that today…so it something that must have happened recently. Why, Hibari doesn't know, nor does he really care. But he has a faint idea of what happened when he sees a group of girls leave the restroom, looking as though they have seen better days.

His eye twitches slightly in response to the sobbing he hears from one of the four girls. It is not a sound he likes, but he considers himself curious when he sees that one of the girls—the one who is crying—is nursing a bloody nose. She holds a balled up wad of tissue paper to her nose with one hand, and covers her right eye with her other hand. He arches his brow at the sight and shifts his attention to the other girls. While they are not as injured as the crying girl is, they are noticeably shaken up. He can spot scratch marks on one of the girl's left cheek and notices that another's lip is busted. The fourth girl is the only one without any visible facial injuries, but she holding a hand to her stomach.

"Who did this?" he finds himself asking them. He already knows the answer, but a part of him still wants a confirmation. And when he gets one, all he can say is, "Wao."

Deciding he has seen enough, Hibari goes on his way, contemplating the possible strings he has to pull in order to fix the mess that Tsuna had caused. It is extra work he'll have to do, and Kusakabe might not be happy about it, but he doesn't really care. He might be slightly annoyed, but it's mostly towards the fact that he feels Tsuna could have done a better job than that. But he supposes it's not _that_ bad.

Of course, Hibari knows he has all the time in the world to talk to Tsuna about that. After all, it isn't that difficult for her to come across him.

…

…

The next day, a rather exhausted-looking Tsuna surprises Hana and Kyōko by giving them each a box full of colorful macarons. She tells them that she made them herself and laughs awkwardly when they ask if she had any difficulty. She _totally_ did—it's why she is somewhat sleep-deprived, but Hana and Kyōko don't need to know that.

"I like baking…" Tsuna tells them with a smile on her face. "It's fun."

Tsuna considers it a fun task when she isn't screwing up majorly and cursing up a storm…but no one needs to know that. Only Nana knows that and Tsuna would like to keep it that way. She would also like to stay out of trouble, so she hopes that the extra macarons that she has on herself are enough to bribe Hibari to look the other way. Because she is quite sure that he has seen the aftermath of her rage-induced vengeance—that she feels is completely justified in some way, because god dammit, you don't go around cutting people's hair like that!

_You just don't!_

"I'll admit, you're the last person I'd expect to say something like that," Hana says as she looks at a green-colored macaron. "You don't look the type."

"I don't look the type to do a lot of things, Kurokawa." And Tsuna has taken full advantage of that. It is how she has avoided getting into trouble.

"Fair enough," Hana says as she places the macaron back in its box. She'll save them for later. "So I heard what you did to those girls, Sawada."

_Shit._

Tsuna laughs awkwardly. "Is that so?"

"Yep." There is something disturbing about how amused Hana both looks and sounds. "Isn't that right, Kyōko?"

Kyōko nods her head once before looking sternly at Tsuna. "That wasn't very nice, Tsuna-chan!"

"Uhh…" Oh god, here comes the guilt that she didn't experience the other day. Wow, she feels like an _asshole_. "S-Sorry…"

"Of course, what they did to you wasn't nice, either…" Kyōko adds, almost as an afterthought as she looks at Tsuna's hair.

"No kidding…" Tsuna grabs a lock of her hair. Gosh, it's been ages since her hair has been _this_ short…

"If it's any consolation, your hair's rather cute when it's this short and fluffy," Hana decides to try and comfort Tsuna now that she no longer has her long hair. "Don't you think so, Kyōko?"

Before Kyōko has a chance to answer, a very familiar white-haired second-year barges into the room and loudly asks, "Is there a Sawada Setsuna in this classroom?!"

" _Oh god why?!"_ Tsuna is absolutely _horrified_ to see that Sasagawa Ryōhei is looking for her— _why_ is he looking for her?! And why is he here _now_ , of all times? It's too damn early for him to show his face to her, that's for fucking sure! _"At least wait for Reborn to show up, dammit!"_

Thankfully, the school bell rings to signal the start of classes, so Ryōhei excuses himself before dashing off.

"Well, that happened." Hana isn't sure what to make of it, but she can tell that Tsuna looks rather terrified. "It's just Kyōko's older brother—he's like that."

"I apologize on his behalf…" Kyōko bows apologetically to Tsuna. "Onii-chan can be so weird sometimes…"

"Wonder why he was looking for you, though…" Hana muses.

"Hmm…" Tsuna purses her lips. She really doesn't want to know _why_ Ryōhei is looking for her. Again, it's too damn early to show his face to her, because Reborn isn't supposed to show up for like another year, when she's fourteen. She is going off her hazy memory of a Wikipedia page, so she's not exactly too sure about that. _"Might as well have_ _ **some**_ _hope instead of none."_

It's all she has going for her right now, as she anticipates seeing Yamamoto again during lunchtime. She isn't too sure how he'll react to her short hair and she would rather not tell him about the exact happenings that had caused it. She isn't too proud of how she allowed her temper to get the best of her. At the same time, she isn't at all happy that her hair had been a casualty of shoujo hell—which has not gotten any better.

Apparently, what Yamamoto has failed to mention to Tsuna is that _more than once_ (because once is _never_ enough for shoujo hell) has he turned down his female classmates whenever they ask him if he wanted to eat lunch with them. It happens each time he leaves his classroom to go fetch Tsuna…because lunchtime is time that Yamamoto _insists_ on spending with her.

" _Crushes are fucking weird…"_ It is an opinion Tsuna still has that might not ever change at this rate. _"At least I'm talking to Kyōko and Hana…"_

Tsuna is fine with this outcome—maybe now she can make more friends.

_Maybe…_

…

…

Come lunchtime, Yamamoto is greeted with the rather surprising sight of Tsuna's short hair. It is nothing like he is used to seeing and he certainly doesn't recall Tsuna ever planning on cutting it either. Though, it could be that Tsuna had forgotten to say something to him—which might be the case. Tsuna forgets things sometimes—it happens. Still, her short hair is such a stark contrast to how long it used to be—but that doesn't mean it looks bad. On the contrary, Yamamoto thinks it's cute.

"It's like a chestnut!" Yamamoto says with a wide grin on his face as he ruffles Tsuna's hair. "If chestnuts were soft, of course!"

Tsuna's eyes widen in astonishment. She had not been expecting that—in fact, she had almost expected Yamamoto to tug on her hair as he compared it to a chestnut. She has no idea why, because it has been years since that last happened to her. And when she recalls yesterday's encounter with Mochida, her expression goes blank.

_Well, he's right about one thing…_

And that's that Kuri-Tsuna has made a comeback.

_Years of avoiding that nickname—ruined by a damned haircut!_

And alongside that, goes the one advantage she had over everyone. After all, it is quite difficult for anyone to underestimate her anymore, now that there is viable proof of what she is actually capable of—which friggen' _sucks_.

_Now I_ _**have** _ _to actually behave._

Tsuna lets out an aggravated sigh as she grabs Yamamoto by the sleeve of his dress shirt. She tugs on it a few times, stopping only when he starts moving. From there, she begins to drag him along as they make their way towards the school rooftop. There is no point in wasting anymore time just thinking about the things that could no longer be. It is lunchtime, after all, and Tsuna wants nothing more than to _eat_.

She absolutely cannot bring herself to even _care_ about that her classmates have been whispering to each other, shortly after Yamamoto had ruffled her hair.

_Let them talk._

Tsuna just doesn't care anymore.

…

…

Ironically enough, she starts to care again when Sasagawa Ryōhei intrudes on her and Yamamoto as they are eating their lunch on the school rooftop. Tsuna almost chokes on her mouthful of rice when the white-haired teenager approaches her out of effing nowhere.

"You're Sawada Setsuna—right?! Right?!" Ryōhei looks expectantly at Tsuna as she tries her best not to choke while Yamamoto pats her on the back. "You're the girl who beat up those other girls for cutting your hair—right?!"

Upon hearing that, Tsuna swallows hard with an audible gulp. Miraculously, she does not choke, but her throat does resent the action, as evident by the pain she is now experiencing in that area. Tears well up in the corners of her eyes as she holds her throat, hoping for the pain to go away fast.

_Ow, ow, ow!_

It is at that moment that Yamamoto turns to Tsuna and asks her, "Is that why your hair is short?"

And just like that, without her having to say anything at all, Ryōhei gets his confirmation that she is in fact Sawada Setsuna. Grinning widely, Ryōhei decides to introduce himself.

"I'm captain of the boxing club, Sasagawa Ryōhei!" He is bursting with energy as he places his hands on Tsuna's shoulders (why the hell is he touching her?!). "My motto is to the _extreme_! And while I'm on the topic about the extreme, I think an _extreme_ girl like you would do the boxing club well! Join our club!"

…

…

"What," is all Tsuna can really say after processing everything Ryōhei has told her. Is she dreaming? Please tell her that she is, because there is just no way that this is actually happening! Someone pinch her, _please_!

"Join our club!" Ryōhei repeats, completely oblivious to how distressed Tsuna appears.

Yamamoto arches his brow in question at Ryōhei, wondering what he should think of the older boy. The captain of the boxing club isn't like Hibari, that's for sure—but his inability to keep his hands to himself is a bit concerning, as evident by how he still had his hands on Tsuna's shoulders. But Yamamoto feels that Tsuna could handle this situation on her own. She just needs a bit, that's all.

"Sawada?" Ryōhei ceases smiling when he realizes that Tsuna has yet to give him a proper response. "Did you hear—?"

Tsuna cuts Ryōhei off by placing her hand over his mouth. "I'm thinking."

Because that is all Tsuna can really do right now. Refusing Ryōhei's offer will get her nowhere, since he looks like the type who will continue pestering her about the boxing club. And really, she actually wants to think about this. She wants to know the costs and benefits from her decision.

Thanks to her black belt in taekwondo, Tsuna is already in a better position than her canon counterpart was the day it was decided that he would become Vongola Decimo. At the very least, she is capable of flipping Hibari—and _yes_ , she counts that as an accomplishment because she still has a **pulse** —so she isn't exactly frail (far from it). However, taekwondo places a heavy emphasis on _kicks_ and if there is one thing Tsuna can remember correctly without any issues, it's that her weapon is going to be a pair of gloves.

She is already capable of throwing a rather hard punch (a proper one, at that), but she feels it will do her some good if she can to improve from there. So joining the boxing club might not be that bad of an idea. Having made her decision, Tsuna removes her hand from Ryōhei's mouth and tells him, "Sure."

"Excellent—I'll pick you up after school!" The instantaneous manner in which Ryōhei reacts almost makes Tsuna regret her decision— _almost_. It is to her immediate relief that he leaves right after that, seeing no reason to stick around.

"Are you going to be okay with him on your own?" Yamamoto asks Tsuna as soon as Ryōhei is out of sight.

Tsuna exhales as she run her fingers through her short hair. She honestly has no idea, but she isn't going to say that…so she lies. "I'll be fine."

Hopefully, she won't have that bad of a time being around Kyōko's older brother.

"If you say so…" Yamamoto knows that Sasagawa Ryōhei isn't a bad person, but that has nothing to do with his concern. It's more that he has no idea how Tsuna is going to withstand being around such an energetic person. But if Tsuna says she is going to be fine, then Yamamoto is going to have to trust her. "At least get some more sleep if you're going to be part of the boxing club."

"Eheheh, right…" Tsuna laughs awkwardly as she reaches into her schoolbag. "Th-That reminds me—I made this while I was up last night!"

…

…

When Ryōhei had said he was going to pick her up after school, he had meant it quite _literally_. But Tsuna doesn't know that until _after_ it happens, to which she finds herself being carried all the way to the gym. Ryōhei is not nearly as tall as Yamamoto is, nor is he that much taller than Tsuna either. Despite this, he has no difficulty carrying someone as heavy as Tsuna and unlike Yamamoto, Ryōhei is _anything_ but lanky. Tsuna finds herself actually feeling the muscles in Ryōhei's arm as he introduces her to the many guys that made up the boxing club.

" _Wh-What the—what the fuck?!"_ Tsuna wonders how much protein Ryōhei consumes. _"He's like a shorter version of Sanada Akihiko…"_

Ohh, and there goes one comparison that won't be leaving her head anytime soon.

"Hope you don't mind being the only girl in the boxing club, Sawada!" Ryōhei smiles widely at Tsuna.

"Wha?" Tsuna stops what she is doing for a moment to get a good look at the boxing club. She finds, quite quickly, that Ryōhei is not wrong. "Really?"

"They were all third-years, so…yeah…" Ryōhei laughs. "Kind of a shame, since they were our best trained boxers, but what can you do?"

"I don't know…" Tsuna goes back to poking at Ryōhei's arm. "How do you get arms like these?"

"Training—lots of it!" Ryōhei pats her somewhat roughly on the back. "Speaking of which, let's see how fit you are so we can get you on a training schedule!"

_Oh god, no—I'm not ready yet!_

"Isn't that a bit too much, Onii-chan?" Kyōko makes a surprise appearance as she walks over to her older brother and Tsuna. She had been following them the instant she had seen her brother carry Tsuna away. "Shouldn't you wait at least a day before doing that to her?"

"Hmm…" Ryōhei thinks for a moment…and then nods his head. "You're right—she needs equipment first!"

"So…can she go now?" Kyōko asks Ryōhei as she lightly tugs on Tsuna's hand.

"Yeah—she can!" Ryōhei smiles widely at his younger sister. "See you tomorrow, Sawada!"

Tsuna nods her head. "S-See you…"

It is no secret that Ryōhei's weakness is his love for Kyōko. Tsuna is quite happy that that is a thing, because otherwise, she would probably be doing some sort of strenuous physical activity with Ryōhei instead of walking with Kyōko. Sure, Kyōko is currently giving her a lecture about Ryōhei, but Tsuna can handle that.

"Don't be afraid to tell Onii-chan to go easy on you!" Kyōko tells Tsuna. "He likes to do things to the extreme, so he sometimes forgets about other people's limits!"

"I'll keep that in mind…" Assuming Tsuna has the gall to tell Ryōhei to back down. Geez, Kyōko sure is awesome for being able to talk to her older brother so easily…

"And if you're having any trouble, don't hesitate to ask Hana or me for help!" Kyōko smiles reassuringly at Tsuna after giving her a few pats on the shoulder. "After all, that's what friends are for, Tsuna-chan."

_Friends…?_

Since when are they friends?

_Does it really matter?_

…

…

Tsuna feels her face heat up. "S-Sasagawa…?"

"Call me Kyōko!" Kyōko eagerly insists.

"K-Kyōko…" Tsuna corrects herself, a light blush tinging her cheeks. "Thank you."

Kyōko giggles. "It's no problem!"

It is really difficult for Tsuna to _not_ smile then. She just can't help herself—she is just so _grateful_ and happy that someone like Kyōko exists. And the idea that she has two more friends…it makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Today is a good day, Tsuna decides. It is a very good day, despite the fact that Ryōhei recruited her into the boxing club.

_One thing at a time, Tsuna, one thing at a time…_

…

…

Tomorrow, however, does not go so well. After a seemingly normal morning, Tsuna's day takes a turn for the worst when Hibari decides to intrude on what should have been another typical class session. He looks around the room before asking the teacher for a student by the name of Sawada Setsuna.

_Oh, today is so not my day…_

Tsuna screams internally as she follows after Hibari, whose very first words to her are, "Follow me."

Tsuna has a feeling that this has to do with those girls she had beaten up two days ago. She is honestly surprised that it took so long for Hibari to actually _do_ a damn thing. Just what took him so long—actually, she'd rather not ask that.

" _Nope, nope, nope!"_ Tsuna does not have a death wish, even though she should have been dead by now after all the crap she had pulled around Hibari. _"How the fuck am I still alive?"_

…

Tsuna decides that it's for the best that she doesn't question anything. Whatever happens—happens. There is not a damn thing she can do to change it if it's in the past. And when Hibari tells her to go into the girls' restroom to change after handing her a black sērā fuku with red trimmings, Tsuna doesn't question anything until _after_ she had changed and left the restroom. It's amazing what fear can do to a person—making them do things without thinking too much about it in detail until after it has been done.

So as Hibari looks Tsuna over, every weird question he has ever asked her suddenly starts to make sense. Her measurements and the preference for long or short—it was all for a stupid school uniform that has a skirt far longer than Tsuna is used to wearing (the skirt practically brushes her ankles—that is just too much, man!).

Now Tsuna is someone who has her limits and this is certainly pushing it…so she finally questions Hibari, as harshly as possible, "What…the fuck…is _this_?"

A death flag has been raised, but Tsuna doesn't pay much attention to that as she is still too busy waiting for an answer from Hibari. Hibari just blinks, not showing much of a reaction to Tsuna's rude way of asking a question. He blinks again when he notices that Tsuna is deliberately making eye contact with him. She's trying to intimidate him…how cute.

This is certainly the sort of reaction that he's been looking for in a person such as Sawada Setsuna. Otherwise, he would have never gotten her that uniform. By now, a minute has passed without either him or Tsuna saying another word to each other. Deciding that he has kept her waiting long enough, Hibari pulls out one of his tonfas and firmly prods Tsuna in the forehead with it.

"Secretary," is all he says as he watches Tsuna blink.

"Wha?" Tsuna makes a face while rubbing her forehead.

"Secretary," Hibari repeats himself before prodding Tsuna in the forehead for a second time. An annoyed whine leaves her mouth this time as a reaction to Hibari's insistence on poking her in the forehead multiple times with one of his tonfas. "That is you, Sawada."

"Secretary of what?" Tsuna is getting _really_ tired of Hibari's cryptic bullshit. Her brain needs context to understand what he's trying to say. "You gotta be clearer than that!"

Surprisingly, Hibari does exactly as he is told. "Of the Disciplinary Committee."

…

"Ah, I see…" Tsuna finds herself smiling regardless of how she truly feels. It lasts for a total of ten seconds before she turns around and enters the girls' restroom. As soon as she closes the door behind her, she starts screaming… _loudly_ …just because she can (and it is all she can actually do on such a short notice). With that out of her system, Tsuna leaves the restroom and looks at Hibari with a smile on her face that looks so natural, despite being forced.

"Anything else I need to know?" Tsuna asks, her smile never once wavering.

"You start today," Hibari replies. "Now follow me."

Tsuna's internal screams have never been so intense…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new and improved version of chapter four—which is like a hell of a lot longer than the original, with some new scenes included and a surprise appearance from Mochida Kensuke, who is here to stay! And I might have snatched the whole "Mochida skipped a grade" thing from **Wyrvel** 's fic, _Dead-Eyed Tsuna_ , which I **highly** recommend to everyone, so credit goes to that fic.
> 
> Yeah, funny how Mochida happened… Like really, it started as a joke. And speaking of jokes, have a humorous comment from **LazyCoffee** :
> 
> **You fed Hibari Kyouya.**  
>  Affection level up!  
> Hibari Kyouya has now joined your party (harem).  
> Good luck, you'll need it.
> 
> **XD**
> 
> I should probably mention that SI!Tsuna has inherited my depression and anxiety. Yeah—that's a thing and as an aside, I should also mention that Tsuna likes to stim. She also likes birds, which is nothing new if you know me.
> 
> Anyways, credit goes to **InfinityRabbit** (yet again) for the fact that they the reason Tsuna flipped Hibari, but also the reason Tsuna ended up as the Disciplinary Committee's secretary.
> 
> Do feel free to give some suggestions if you have any (especially in regards to headcanons). And many thanks to anonymous reviewer, **jaguar** , for reminding me that sensory processing disorders are frequently comorbid with autism. Seriously, thanks—and I should also mention that thanks to friend **kurobook** , autistic!Ryōhei is also a thing here, apart from him having ADHD.
> 
> Credit also goes to **KeiGinya** for giving me an idea of how the female Disciplinary Committee uniform should look (black seifuku with red trimmings). So like, anyone wondering what a seifuku is, it's a Japanese school uniform modeled on European-style naval uniforms. In the case of Tsuna's uniform, hers is known specifically as a sērā fuku, or a sailor outfit, which is usually worn by female students of either middle or high school level (it depends).
> 
> Going on from here, the gakuran is a male school uniform that, like the seifuku, is styled after a certain type of uniform—a military uniform, to be exact. So like, just in case any of you guys didn't know, this is pretty much the basis for the plot of _Kill la Kill_ ( **yes** , there's more to it than just the fanservice) apart from the fact that it literally states, within the first episode, that, "When Japanese pronounce the English words 'fashion' and 'fascism', it sounds nearly the same."
> 
> Now, as most of you are at least aware, the Disciplinary Committee consists of guys who have the stereotypical appearance of a male Japanese delinquent (referred to as yankii, or yankee). So in order to fit the trend for Tsuna, she has a sērā fuku with a really long skirt, which is one of the characteristics of a sukeban, which means delinquent girl or boss girl in Japanese (it really only refers to a female gang leader).
> 
> In case you guys weren't exactly aware, I have a lot of useless information when it comes to yankee subculture. I even bought a book about it, so now I have even _more_ information. So whenever I see a chance to actually use this information, I take it. That is why you have this long-ass explanation from me when it comes to Tsuna's Disciplinary Committee uniform.
> 
> Anyways, Tsuna lost her long hair in this chapter! Yeah, that was a thing…that ended up getting her recruited into the boxing club by Ryohei. Also, fun fact I found about chestnuts. According to what I read up, the chestnut fruit has a pointed end with a small tuft at its tip that is called a "flame" in Italian.
> 
> Yeah, make what you will about that. I was just laughing my ass off because I wasn't aware of that until AFTER I made Kuri-Tsuna a thing (she's back, by the way, thanks to the short hair). Also, Buta-Tsuna…yeah, it means Pig-Tsuna and it is in fact referring to the fact that she is chubby. Not that Tsuna cares, because she can own up to the name by saying pigs are intelligent—which they are. By the by, Japanese onomatopoeia for pigs is, "buhi", so when Tsuna said that to Hana, she was basically saying, "Oink." And keitai straps are cellphone charms—look them up, you might find something cute (I found cute bird charms, so I'm very satisfied).
> 
> So like, it really takes a lot to piss Tsuna off to the point where she actually lashes out at someone physically. Otherwise, she keeps to herself unless she has to defend herself—which is how she caught Hibari's attention when she flipped him. Yeah, Hibari's been keeping an eye on Tsuna since that day and he's pretty much the reason Tsuna didn't get in trouble for beating up those girls (being a black belt, Tsuna could actually get in trouble with the law for her actions).
> 
> That's it for now!


	5. Progress

Tsuna can't help but wonder what it is that she has done in order for her life to receive the biggest "fuck you" to the face. Ever since she got hit in the chest with a baseball, her life just keeps going out of its way to make sure she never forgets the fact that she is a female Sawada Tsunayoshi. Grant it, she is not _that_ against the idea, being someone who is confident that she is anything _**but**_ a boy. To say she is female isn't exactly wrong, per se—which is the most she'll tell anyone at this point in time, should they actually ask.

That being said, Tsuna would have preferred it if she had made the discovery years ago before investing so much time to avoid becoming the anime (she is the shounen protagonist—it's _her_ , not Mochida freaking Kensuke). She would have also preferred it if the discovery wasn't as painful as it had been and if it hadn't marked the start of her fairly _ridiculous_ daily life. At the very least, she is no longer friendless.

That still does nothing to make her situation any better. After all, she is going to have to put up with Ryōhei and the boxing club. And just when she thought things couldn't get any more exhausting (Tsuna does not tempt fate by asking if things can get any worse—she _knows_ better than that), now she _also_ has to deal with Hibari and his Disciplinary Committee. She might as well say goodbye to her life, because there isn't going to be much left of it after Ryōhei and Hibari are through with her.

At the very least, Tsuna knows Ryōhei won't hurt her—he is the least of her concerns in regards to that. And besides, Ryōhei means more Kyōko interaction and more Kyōko means good times all around, because Kyōko is a lovely person that Tsuna is completely _okay_ with getting to know better—like Hana.

Oh yes, Tsuna has her priorities set straight ( _pfft_ )…assuming she lives to see another day.

" _At least Mama will be pleased…"_ There is certainly that and a happy Nana means a happy Tsuna, because she _really_ loves her mother so dearly. And Nana has been trying her hardest to get Tsuna to be a bit more productive (just a _bit_!), so she might as well make the most of whatever productivity she can get out of the boxing club and the Disciplinary Committee.

_So…_

What _are_ secretaries supposed to do?

…

…

Maybe if she had actually been _paying_ _attention_ to what Hibari was saying instead of blanking out during his explanation, she wouldn't _have_ such a question! But no, her ADHD (and a possible auditory processing disorder that she wouldn't be surprised if she has, because comorbidity) has long since decided that paying attention is for squares and people who are capable of writing notes. And Tsuna is someone whose note-taking skills are _abysmal_ , which is the exact reason she secretly records lectures. It is how she manages not to fall behind in class when she can't copy everything that's on the chalkboard in time.

Not that anyone needs to know, because Tsuna doesn't want them to know—oh no, because imagine how the others will react to knowing that Buta-Tsuna is capable of getting good grades, but terrible at taking notes. By god, the name-calling will just get even worse and less creative…and Tsuna is not about that life.

When Hibari finishes his explanation, he asks Tsuna, "Understand?"

Tsuna snaps out of her thoughts and blinks a few times. Small beads of sweat roll down the sides of her face. Her heart starts to pound just a little faster than usual. It's uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as being under Hibari's direct gaze. He's waiting for an answer from her…and she knows better to lie to him— _especially_ to his face.

_It's now or never._

She's been pushing her luck around the teenager since day one, so it's probably better that she rips off the proverbial band-aid now and ask the dreaded question that makes her want to slap herself silly for even _considering_ it.

"Can you repeat that?" she finally asks, with a surprisingly steady voice. She absolutely _hates_ asking that question in any way, shape, or form, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She keeps her ground, managing to maintain eye contact with Hibari, despite how much he terrifies her. Disturbingly enough, she finds herself willing to fight him, should the chance happen to pop up.

_Why_ , Tsuna has no idea…survival instincts? That certainly seems to be the case. Is Tsuna happy about it? Ehhh, she has no clue and honestly, she doesn't actually care. She _wants_ to care, but it's hard when she doesn't have enough energy, since most of it gets spent through every interaction she's had so far (Hibari has _not_ been easy on her).

All she wants to do is make it to adulthood.

_Is that too much to ask for?_

It might as well be, since life decided to make Tsuna anime and it's the very reason she's worked so hard to _avoid_ this specific outcome. She is not at all happy and oh god, why hasn't Hibari said anything yet?!

Beads of sweat continue to roll down the sides of her face as she continues to stare at Hibari, who just stares right back. He seems to be observing her and possibly using the power of silence to his complete advantage, with the way _it's_ _ **so**_ _freaking_ **quiet**. Tsuna does not like how his sharp, gray eyes just stare into her soul.

_Nopenopenope!_

In any other situation, Tsuna would have thought that Hibari had nice eyes…actually, she is currently thinking that right now, because her brain never had its priorities straight around anything (or anyone, in this case) that was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. And it probably never would.

_Probably because you're not straight in the first place._

But that is beside the point.

…

" _I'm gonna die."_ Like, right now, as she continues to stare at him with a strained smile on her face—that's how she feels because Hibari had yet to respond to her question. The entire room is so fucking quiet and she _hates_ that. It just makes everything even worse and if Hibari doesn't say anything in the next minute or so, then she is going to scream— **loudly**.

_Death wish be damned!_

_Anything_ to end the silence that is grating on her nerves for whatever reason she can't explain. Her face feels as though it's on fire, her hands are getting clammy, her eyes are beginning to sting with hot tears, and her heart is pounding so hard within her chest that she wouldn't be surprised if it decided to burst at any given second. It is _that_ bad and Tsuna wants something to happen _**right now**_ before she does it herself.

Fortunately, something _does_ happen. The door suddenly opens, causing both Tsuna and Hibari to turn as a certain Kusakabe Tetsuya enters the room, carrying a packet of papers in one hand. He stares at the scene before him, wondering if he had accidentally intruded upon something important. He hopes not, because Hibari doesn't like being interrupted in any way, shape, or form…

Then Kusakabe notices that the Disciplinary Committee's new secretary looks rather distressed and decides that maybe his timing isn't so bad. He can't exactly ignore the look in her eyes that practically scream, "Help me!"

And Hibari doesn't seem annoyed either, so that's a plus because Kusakabe _wants_ the secretary to make it through the end of the day. It's only her first day, after all.

"I got you the papers you asked me to print out," Kusakabe says as he walks over to Hibari and Tsuna. He holds out the packet for Hibari to take as soon as he's close enough. It is during this moment that he notices how _short_ the new secretary is. _"Well, she's certainly going to stand out."_

There is also the fact that Tsuna is currently the Disciplinary Committee's only female member, but Kusakabe is hoping that will change soon. The Disciplinary Committee has been hurting for new recruits to replace the third-years that had graduated in spring and Hibari's most recent growth spurt hasn't done them any favors in that regard. At the very least, people now take Hibari quite seriously.

" _But at what cost?"_ Kusakabe really hopes it isn't much, because it really says a lot when Tsuna happens to also be the Disciplinary Committee's _only_ newest recruit. They're almost one month into the new term and Hibari is having a difficult time finding students with potential. He hasn't given up though. _"He never gives up."_

Which Kusakabe supposes isn't too bad of a trait to have. It's commendable, really, but that could just be him. He wouldn't be that surprised. Being a caretaker has certainly changed the way he thinks about certain things.

"Kusakabe…" Hibari says, briefly glancing at the packet in Kusakabe's hand. He blinks once as he stares at Kusakabe for a moment…then another…and finally, a third, before taking the packet. He skims over it briefly before holding it out to Tsuna, almost whacking her on the forehead when he does. Tsuna is quick to block off her forehead with her arm in order to avoid that, too tense to really take any chances even though it's _just_ a packet of paper.

"Read this," Hibari tells her as he waits for her to take the packet.

Tsuna hesitates for a moment, but then takes the packet from Hibari. Almost instantly, she takes a few steps back—just in case Hibari decides to try anything funny. _Again_ , she isn't taking any chances. Dying once _really_ does something to a person, such as putting an incentive in Tsuna to stay alive, no matter what.

After making sure that Hibari isn't going to land a surprise attack on her (she never knows when it comes to Hibari and that is slightly _frustrating_ ), Tsuna starts reading the packet. It takes her nearly a minute to realize it is a neatly organized outline of information regarding her new duties as the Disciplinary Committee's secretary.

_How in the—_

"Why a packet?" Tsuna looks questioningly at Kusakabe and Hibari. She isn't offended or anything. Hell, she's glad—no… _relieved_ that she got a packet. It makes everything easier for her now that she can just read it instead of having to listen. Even so, she is curious as to _why_ a packet was even made for her when Hibari had only just finished explaining her duties to her.

"Because you secretly record lectures," Hibari replies as if it were an obvious answer—even though it isn't.

Because Tsuna knows for a fact that no one should _ever_ know that about her. How in the hell does Hibari know that—

" _Oh_ …" Tsuna feels her blood run cold when her brain finally connects her dots. And by connecting the dots, Tsuna recalls what Hibari once said to her…that he is keeping an eye on her (personally or not, Tsuna doesn't care—Hibari _knows_ ).

Apparently, he hadn't been messing around when he said that. How lovely. Suddenly, there is an intense desire that Tsuna has to hide her backpack (which contains her tape recorder she uses to secretly record lectures), even though hiding it would require her to take it off her back and that alone will attract attention from both Kusakabe and Hibari, who are _already_ watching her. Tsuna's smile wavers for a quick moment as she tries her best not to freak out.

"Please don't tell anyone." Tsuna isn't _too_ proud to beg. At the very least, she isn't on her knees (or in dogeza), so she's good with what she is doing. "I'm not that good of a note-taker, so I just do what I have to do."

…

…

"Then just do your job as secretary," Hibari remarks. "It's simple as that."

Except it isn't because now Hibari has blackmail on her, and that alone is an unnerving thought…but Tsuna isn't going to argue with him. **Hell no** —she likes the fact that Hibari hasn't attacked her yet. And with Kusakabe in the room, she doesn't feel too comfortable about getting him involved because she has a strong feeling he'd end up getting dragged into it as well, never mind the fact that he's on Hibari's side (most likely—Tsuna wouldn't know, she isn't omnipotent).

"Is there anything else you have to say?" Hibari looks expectantly at Tsuna for an answer.

"Uhh…I joined the boxing club?" Tsuna might as well let him know that because Ryohei sure as hell isn't releasing his firm grip on her (not that she cares, since it was her decision to join, anyways).

Hibari's right eye almost twitches at the mere mention of the boxing club, what with certain memories of last year involving a certain Sasagawa Ryohei popping up in mind. A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of Kusakabe's face upon noticing this. This certainly isn't good…

"Resign," Hibari firmly says.

Tsuna stares at Hibari for a moment, her expression going blank. Then, in a just as firm voice, she says, "No."

And there goes another death flag.

"No?" Hibari repeats, sounding somewhat perplexed that Tsuna actually has the gall to stand up to him. It isn't that he doesn't expect it or anything, considering this is part of the reason why he had her in mind as the Disciplinary Committee secretary. Even so, he can only allow insubordination to a certain degree and Tsuna is certainly pushing it for someone who has only recently joined the Disciplinary Committee. If she wants to sway his decision, then she is going to have to prove herself. Of course, that's assuming if she continues to—

"No." Tsuna isn't changing her mind. "Why should I?"

Tsuna wants to improve her punches and she sure as hell isn't going to be able to do that if she resigns from the boxing club. She is _NOT_ allowing Hibari to be the cause for any difficulties that may befall her in the near future.

…

…

She is not at all surprised when Hibari decides to attack her with his tonfas. It's honestly a matter of when she was going to fuck up, so she expects this. What _does_ surprise her is that she somehow manages to kick one of Hibari's tonfas out of his hand.

_How the_ _**hell** _ _did that just happen?_

Really, _how_? Tsuna sure as hell doesn't know when she was under the impression that Hibari has a tight grip on his tonfas 24/7. Apparently, that doesn't seem to be the case this time around—did she really catch him by surprise? A better question is should she _care_ —because she is _faaar_ too busy trying to avoid Hibari's counterattack because _he still has another tonfa_!

" _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!"_ The words repeat themselves in Tsuna's head like a mantra as she tries her best to avoid getting hit. She keeps backing up until she hits a wall, the back of her head feeling the full brunt of the impact. She doesn't have much time to react to the throbbing sensation in the back of her head because Hibari is seconds away from cornering her and if she wants to avoid a world of immense pain, then she is going to have to think fast. And she does, by dropping down onto the floor to avoid the tonfa that could have bashed her on the head.

Tsuna lands flat on her butt and has good access to Hibari's legs from her current level. Without even thinking twice about it, she uses this to her advantage and she takes off her backpack, which she uses to swing it at the third-year's legs. The effect is instantaneous in disrupting Hibari's balance and sends him falling onto the floor.

"HIII!" Tsuna shrieks as she quickly moves her legs out of the way to avoid having Hibari land on them. She is not sure how much he weighs, but she doubts it matters because it still could've been quite _painful_.

_THUD!_

Tsuna holds her backpack tightly against chest as she fumbles with the zipper in order to stuff in the packet of papers she still has on her. As she does this, she uses her legs to push herself across the floor as fast as possible, away from Hibari. She can't help but think that at least one good thing came out of her uniform's extremely long skirt. A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of her face as she stares at Hibari, who just stares back at her.

He looks anything _but_ amused.

" _I'm so fucking dead,"_ Tsuna thinks as a smile forces itself on her face. She is in no way happy and at most, she finds her situation a _tad_ bit humorous because she is going through the effort of pushing herself across the floor instead of getting up and running. Though, that might just be because she is just so freaking _scared_ of making any sudden movements… At the very least, her smile hides the fact that she is screaming internally for what feels like the umpteenth time already (she is starting to lose count, even though it's only a recent occurrence—Hibari just has _that_ effect on her).

_Zip!_

Tsuna honestly feels proud that she has been able to stuff the packet of papers into her backpack without once having to look away from Hibari— _who is starting to get up_!

" _Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope!"_ Tsuna immediately gets off the floor and tries to make a break for the door. She is successful in leaving the room and closes the door behind her as means of slowing down Hibari, who is _right on her trail_. That manages to do jack shit, because seconds afterwards, Hibari kicks down the door with such an immense force that Tsuna is pretty sure that a good amount of students (as well as teachers) in various classrooms on this very floor _heard_ that.

Tsuna continues running down the hallways, effectively breaking what feels like a sacred school rule. She has reached a point of no return, because Hibari now has _every_ reason to get on her case for it. Of course, maybe if she hadn't deliberately swung her backpack at his legs, the situation wouldn't have escalated, but _noooo_ , she just _had_ to act on an impulse without considering the damn consequences!

_Damn you, impulsivity!_

Honestly, that's going to get her killed at this rate and she has no one but herself to blame. She might as well learn from this experience as means of avoiding this in the very future—assuming Hibari doesn't kill her.

" _I should have just resigned!"_ But then Tsuna wouldn't have a chance to improve her punches and she has such an _intense_ desire to not waste such an opportunity. She only has a year before Reborn shows up anyways. She might as well do everything in her power to get on his good side…but before that! _"Get the hell out of dodge!"_

Meanwhile, back at the reception room, Kusakabe is treated with the sight of a broken door as it lays across the floor—courtesy of Hibari's rage. He stares at it a moment longer than he wishes he has and sighs, wondering if he has enough cash on himself today to pay off a bet he just lost. Leave it to the new secretary to make Hibari break down a door a month earlier than Kusakabe had been hoping it would have occurred…

…

…

Sasagawa Ryōhei is happily making his way back to his classroom after taking a well-deserved bathroom break—which he feels he needed after an overwhelming English lesson that he just could _not_ understand. He has never been good with certain subjects anyways, so he is most likely going to ask Kyōko for help later today when the two of them got home. Sure, she might be a first-year, but she has a good understanding of certain subjects, unlike him, so the least he can do is at least _try_ to see if she can do anything, like she usually does whenever she notices her older brother struggling with a certain subject in school.

Though, on his way back to his classroom, Ryōhei is treated with the sight of Sawada Setsuna crashing into a wall after forcefully turning a sharp corner. She lands onto the floor in a rather pained heap but doesn't waste much time staying there as she quickly gets up and continues running. As she runs past him, she manages to yell out a quick, "Hey Ryōhei, bye Ryōhei!"

Ryōhei blinks, feeling a little surprised that a girl he barely knows is already on a first-name basis with him. It took Hana a couple of years before she even used his first name and Kyōko is his little sister, so she is an exception. Knowing this, a wide grin crosses his face.

" _It'll be great having an extreme girl for a friend!"_ Ryōhei can't wait to talk to her again. The idea of why she is running never crosses his mind until he watches a certain Disciplinary Committee Leader make his appearance.

Hibari Kyōya turns the same sharp corner that Tsuna had, but with the expertise and grace of a professional who doesn't crash into walls. With nothing to stop him, he continues on his way, making brief eye contact with Ryōhei as he runs past the captain of the boxing club. Ryōhei feels a chill go down his spine, but not for reasons involving intimidation.

No, it was more than that. Ryōhei feels _excited_ for the events to come because there _has_ to be a reason Hibari is chasing after Tsuna.

" _Did she…did she try to recruit him into the boxing club?"_ It's a thought that Ryōhei quickly considers. _"Is that why he's running after her?"_

It makes sense to him and if that does happen to be the case, then Ryōhei is going to have to inform Tsuna of some happenings that occurred last year involving him and Hibari. But other than that, Ryōhei feels he _has_ to give Tsuna props for trying. And even if that isn't the case, the fact still stands that Tsuna will certainly make this year an interesting one for the boxing club. Ryōhei is certainly looking forward to the _extreme_ things he and Tsuna will be doing this year.

…

…

" _Fuck these stairs!"_ Tsuna thinks as she takes the leap of faith down the stairs…and _nails_ the landing! _Perfect_ —ten out of ten! "Whoa!"

_Thud!_

Never mind—Tsuna's sense of balance has decided to crap out on her at the last second. Nothing out of the usual, just Tsuna having a false sense of hope, which is _exactly_ what her goal for a normal life turned out to be—a false sense of hope. Yes, Tsuna is still bitter over the lack of control she has on the future…and she doubts she will ever be less bitter anytime soon, since she is still mourning over the loss of her "normal" future.

" _Stupid shounen protagonist hair!"_ That has made a return, thanks to shoujo hell deciding to rub salt in Tsuna's wounds by reminding her that a boy and a girl just being friends is _such_ a hard concept for some people to understand. She snorts as she picks herself off the ground, taking only a brief moment to adjust her clothes before running off, just _barely_ avoiding Hibari as he lands a drop from the second floor. And unlike Tsuna's clumsy ass, Hibari doesn't lose his balance. _"Why can't_ _ **you**_ _be the shounen protagonist?!"_

…

…

Yamamoto knows that he should to be paying attention to the instructor's lecture, but he is more preoccupied with when he and his classmates are going to be excused for lunchtime. Ever since the baseball club recruited him, he hasn't been able to spend much time with Tsuna and that is honestly the most disappointing situation he has ever found himself in, never mind the fact that his batting average is starting to go down. So long as he still manages to win, it shouldn't be a problem—right? He doesn't get why everyone is so worked up about it…well, maybe he does, but he would rather not think about it.

Yamamoto would rather think about what he is going to say to Tsuna today. There is just something about her that makes everything so… _bearable_. It's just the idea that someone could be his friend outside of baseball that makes his situation so much better than it would have, had he not hit that baseball into her chest that day.

He still feels bad about it, because he knows it bruised…but Tsuna says it's not his fault. She says that, but he still feels it is. She doesn't seem resentful at the very least, which is good.

"HIIIIIIII!" Yamamoto blinks a few times, taking a moment to scratch the side of his head in confusion. Just now—he could have sworn he just heard Tsuna. Which is rather strange, because she should be in her classroom at this very moment. There is still less than half an hour until lunchtime…and yet, despite that, when Yamamoto looks out the window that his desk is right next to, he is greeted with the sight of a running Tsuna as she tries so desperately to avoid the Disciplinary Leader, Hibari Kyōya, who is right behind her.

Really, just what are those two doing outside of the school at this hour? Yamamoto sure has a lot of questions that he is going to ask Tsuna after this. But for now, he just hopes that for whatever reason Hibari is chasing after Tsuna, it isn't anything too serious. It doesn't feel right for Tsuna to have to use the first-aid kit in her backpack because of that pervert.

…

…

Tsuna is _not_ okay. Nothing has been okay since she fled the reception room after letting what should have probably been a seemingly _normal_ encounter with Hibari escalate into _this_. Really, just what was she thinking when she used her backpack to trip Hibari— _oh wait_.

_I wasn't thinking at all._

She's pretty sure that her brain decided to leave her impulse on autopilot. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in this mess!

_Then again…_

Her impulse _has_ been keeping her alive so far…but it has _also_ been making her situation even worse and worse. It sure as hell says a lot about how things have escalated, with the fact that she managed to get Hibari out of the school building.

_Oh crap!_

Only just now—has it occurred to Tsuna that maybe, _just maybe_ …Hibari might think that she is trying to skip school now that they are outside.

_Should have reconsidered looping around the lockers instead of deciding to leave the building._

Tsuna laments her terrible decision with all of her heart. She laments it, as she so desperately tries her hardest to keep running. She does _not_ like how her legs feel as though they might give out on her at any moment. She most certainly does not like how difficult it is to breathe, either, because her lungs are on freaking **fire**! And she absolute _hates_ how uncomfortably wet her uniform feels in certain places as a result of her excessive sweating.

_Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!_

On the bright side, working out with Yamamoto has definitely shown its results. Tsuna has managed far longer than she could have ever expected from her attempts to escape Hibari. Then again, that could just be adrenaline doing its work by putting the flight in fight or flight— "Fuuu—"

_Thud!_

And there goes a curse cut short, thanks to Tsuna's _brilliant_ ability to trip at the _worst_ possible moment! She lands face-first into the ground and gets some dirt into her mouth in the process. A burning sensation quickly surfaces in the palms of her hands. What annoys her the most is the fact that it has taken her _this_ long to **finally** trip on skirt, never mind that she has _dirt_ in her **mouth**. Groaning, Tsuna lifts her head off the ground and spits out a wad of saliva that is mixed with dirt.

" _Uugh, gross…"_ Tsuna makes a face as she gets on her knees. She spits a few more times to get rid of the dirt in her mouth ( _disgust!_ ). She pauses for a moment when she feels warm liquid trickling down her nose. _"Am I—am I bleeding?"_

Unfortunately, she is unable to check for herself because a certain Disciplinary Committee Leader decides to make his presence known through a harsh kick to her face. There is enough force in Hibari's kick to send her _flying_ into the air. A few seconds pass before she crashes into the ground, landing half a meter away from him.

"Uuuugh…" Well, that fucking _hurts_! Tears well up in the corners of Tsuna's eyes as she lies on the ground, too pained to even move or make sense of _anything_. Her vision refuses to work with her, making everything seem like a total blur. She honestly has no idea where the hell she is and, for some odd reason, she wants to know what type of shoe Hibari wears. "Wha shoes you wearin', Hiba? Cuz that _huuuurt_!"

Is it normal to speak like this after getting kicked in the face? Tsuna isn't exactly sure as she is too busy wondering why her mouth tastes like blood. It's such a gross taste that makes her want to gag. She almost does when her tongue comes across something disturbingly _solid_ in her mouth, which she spits out _immediately_.

Hibari arches his brow at the tooth Tsuna spits out. It's the last thing he expects, but he supposes that's what happens when he kicks someone in the face. It's just a baby tooth anyways, so he doesn't think too much about it—another will grow back, after all.

"Heeey, I know you're mad at me, but can you heeelp me?" Tsuna has no idea why she is even _trying_ to ask Hibari for help. At the same time, she also has no idea why it's so freaking _difficult_ to sit up. It should be an easy task for her, and yet she's failing so _horribly_ that. She's starting to wonder if she's destined to stay grounded—which she doesn't exactly mind, so long as she isn't on dirt, like now.

_Grass is sooooo much better!_

"Help?" Hibari stares at Tsuna as she clumsily holds out a hand to him. She's struggling, that's for sure, and yet, despite everything she has done so far, she _still_ has it in her to ask him for help? "Why?"

"You certainly don't go easy on people, ahahahahaha…" Oh god, she needs help—like right now, because she has no idea if she can even stand up anymore and the ground feels so uncomfortable. "I don't think I'll be movin' anytime soon…"

Hibari stares at Tsuna for several seconds before walking over to her. He kneels down by her side and rather than grab her outstretched hand, he smacks it away.

_Smack!_

"Ahaha, I expected that…" she laughs nervously. "I'm not resignin', if tha's what you want me to say."

"Explain." If Tsuna isn't going to resign, then Hibari wants to at least know why she is so adamant about her decision.

"I jus' wanted to improve my punches—tha's all," Tsuna replies. "Dontcha think it'd be cool if I can punch as hard as you can kick?"

_Yaaaa, that'd be hecka cool!_

"You lost a tooth," Hibari simply says.

"I diiiiiiiid?" Oh, that doesn't sound so good…but it does explain the gap in her mouth—when did that happen? Ohhh, _right_ —she got kicked in the head! That _totally_ happened! "Wow, now I _reeeeally_ wanna punch as hard as you can kick!"

Hibari has no exact comment for Tsuna. He just stares at her, thinking over everything she has told him. He twirls a tonfa in his hand, taking a moment to enjoy the gratification he gets from the action. After about a minute, he stops twirling the tonfa and grips it as he uses it firmly prod Tsuna in the forehead. "Quota."

Tsuna blinks a few times. It takes her a second to process everything and even then, all she can say is, "Whaaaaa?"

"Quota," Hibari repeats himself. He pauses for a second, twirling his tonfa only once before continuing, "Three days minimum as secretary each week."

"Ahh…is tha so?" Tsuna feels rather relieved that Hibari came around— "Aaugh!"

And just when she least expects it, Hibari prods her firmly in the forehead with one of his tonfas for a second time. This time, she's aware of it, being not as dazed as before.

"I win," he states, in a manner befitting someone such as himself. He sounds proud, eyes faintly glittering for a brief moment.

"I can see that." The way Tsuna's mouth forms into an inverted V-shape reminds Hibari of a disgruntled cat. It's rather amusing and he finds himself using his tonfa to prod her forehead for a third time. "Whyyyy?!"

"Because," Hibari simply says, deciding that Tsuna has had enough.

"Hmmm…" Tsuna keeps her mouth shut as she rubs at her forehead. Now is not the time for her to be snarky towards Hibari—that's _very_ bad. And honestly, compared to the kick to her face, getting prodded in the forehead with a tonfa isn't all that bad… Frankly, it's just annoying, because Hibari could do so much worse than that. _"Enjoy the tranquility, Setsuna—enjoy it while it lasts."_

It's all she can do as she waits for her vision to clear up. Slowly, her sense of stability returns to her and whatever dizziness she felt is starting to fade. Despite her outlook on her second chance at life, there are some things she still manages to take for granted—such as having a grasp on her surroundings. Like wow, does it sure feel amazing to see what the fuck is going on!

Or so she initially thinks…then the very first thing she sees when her vision finally clears just so happens to be the _smile_ on Hibari's face.

_Oh god why._

No words can describe the sheer terror Tsuna feels from witnessing such a sight. Because there _has_ to be a reason Hibari is smiling and as far as she knows, it isn't from the fact that he won. No—it has to be _more_ than just that.

"I expect better next time." And whoop, there it is—Hibari is looking toward the future in hopes of a better fight that he _knows_ he is going to win.

" _Well…at least I'm not dying today."_ A smile manages to force its way onto her face. She tries her best to think on the bright side, because really, Hibari needs her alive if he's expecting better from her the next time they fight. Can it really be considered a fight when all she did was run away? _"I still started it."_

There is that and it is _not_ doing her any favors in stopping her from screaming so intensely on the inside.

…

…

When lunchtime finally comes around, Yamamoto is extremely quick to leave his classroom that he accidentally bumps past a few girls that are lined at his desk. They try to ask him the same question as usual—if he wants to eat lunch with them.

"No," he simply tells them before they can even ask. It's the same answer he'll always tell them, no matter how many times they'll ask. "I need to leave."

Tsuna is waiting for him, after all, and he can't keep her waiting. Besides, it wouldn't feel right if he chooses to eat lunch with someone else—not when he's so used to eating with her. He has a lot of questions he wants to ask her today, which he'll make sure to ask her when they're on the rooftop.

Though, when he arrives at Tsuna's classroom, he is disappointed to find that she isn't there. Of course, he doesn't let his disappointment show, so it isn't that obvious for anyone to notice—not when all they see is a smile on his face. Unless someone notices the lack of energy that his smile currently has, then it's easy to assume that Yamamoto Takeshi is acting his usual, cheery self.

Sasagawa Kyōko, however, notices the change in his demeanor and decides to fill him in on what happened earlier. "If you're looking for Tsuna-chan, she left with Hibari-san earlier and hasn't come back."

"Hibari?" Yamamoto blinks a few times. _"Isn't he that pervert?"_

What exactly does that guy want with Tsuna anyways? Yamamoto doesn't know, but Kurokawa Hana can sense his confusion.

"It probably has to do with what happened the other day when those girls decided to give Tsuna a haircut," Hana says as she opens up her bento box. She pauses for a moment before looking at Yamamoto with a sly smile on her face. "Say…what is Tsuna to you, Yamamoto?"

Hana will be lying if she says she isn't curious about Tsuna and Yamamoto, especially after seeing the keitai strap the latter gave the former.

"Hana!" Kyōko lightly smacks her dark-haired friend on the head for being a little nosier than she should have probably been.

"I'm just curious, Kyōko!" Hana doesn't even try to defend herself—not when Kyōko is around. She just wants answers—answers that Yamamoto can probably answer, since Tsuna isn't here to do so. She's not assuming much, but she would like to have some clarity. It'd give her an idea on how to approach Yamamoto from here on out.

"What is she to me…?" Yamamoto blinks a few times, his smile ceasing momentarily as he mulls over Hana's question. Then, within the blink of an eye, his smile returns as he fervently replies, "She's my friend!"

…

"Is that so…?" Hana finds that quite interesting, but doesn't question it much. After all, she doesn't seem like the type of person to be friends with someone, such as Kyōko, so who is she to think the same way about Tsuna and Yamamoto? _"She's right about one thing…"_

Tsuna doesn't look like the type of person to do a lot of things. It's not bad and Hana finds that she likes that trait of hers. She's still not certain about how she feels towards Yamamoto. He is a friend of her friend…so he shouldn't be that bad.

"Must be nice having friends like her, huh?" Hana finds herself saying to him. She feels that she can understand him to an extent. After all, she's not one to leave Kyōko alone so easily. Nor is she going let just anyone take the living-embodiment of warmth and sunshine away from her, either.

"It is…" Yamamoto sighs. He is usually prepared for whenever he wants to give Tsuna her space so he can leave her alone. But today is really throwing him off—he's not used to this.

"Hey, maybe Tsuna-chan's waiting for you right now!" Kyōko decides to see if she can do something cheer Yamamoto up—even if it's just a _bit_.

"You think so?" That certainly seems to evoke a positive response from the boy.

"You won't know if you don't check yourself!" Kyōko smiles reassuringly at him.

Yamamoto blinks a few times before nodding his head. "Yeah…you're right! Thanks!"

"No problem!" Kyōko is happy to help whenever she can.

Without waiting any longer, Yamamoto leaves the classroom and makes his way toward the school rooftop, where he hopes Tsuna is waiting for him. He is confident that she will be there for him. Though, as he moves from the first floor to the second floor, his confidence starts to wane.

"What if she's not there?" is a question that enters his mind and it won't go away, no matter how many times he tries to ignore it.

Upon reaching the third floor, he starts to wonder if Tsuna had already left Namimori Middle School. He wouldn't blame her if she did, considering what he's been told about her leaving class with Hibari. She always seems so exhausted after interacting with the third-year in some way. For once, he really hates that he left his cellphone at home today.

If he had his cellphone with him, he could have sent an email to Tsuna, asking her about her whereabouts. Instead, here he is, with questions he doesn't have any answers to. It's bugging him in ways that make him feel uncomfortable. He doesn't like how nervous he feels as he approaches the door leading out to the school rooftop.

" _Why am I like this?"_ Yamamoto frowns when he reaches out for the doorknob. _"I'm never like this…"_

So why, he keeps asking himself. Why is he like this? He's never had anyone else to worry about, other than his father, who is always doing well despite having to run a sushi shop and be a single father at the same time. It isn't easy doing both—Yamamoto knows this from how exhausted Tsuyoshi looks at times. And yet, he never hears his father say anything about how tired he is—Tsuyoshi just goes on acting as though nothing is wrong, just hiding it behind a weary smile that Yamamoto knows all too well.

It's wrong, but he's used to this. And he supposes that he's also used to the way he feels about baseball, so long as he wins. So long as he wins, nothing else should matter…

" _Right?"_ Yamamoto exhales shakily and then shakes his head. Tsuna isn't his father…and there is nothing to win when it comes to spending time with her either. She is just his friend—that's all. _"Maybe…that's why…"_

He has never really thought much about his situation, but it is starting to occur to him that Tsuna might be the only friend he's ever actually _had_. At least, that's how it feels for him. Swallowing hard, Yamamoto turns the doorknob and opens the door. He almost expects to see an empty rooftop.

His heart almost skips a beat when he doesn't, because sitting in their usual spot at the farthest right corner of the rooftop, is Tsuna. Relief washes over him as he continues to stare out at Tsuna, a smile soon forming on his lips. It is a sight that Yamamoto feels he's taken for granted. He feels oddly elated, but manages to stay calm as he makes the decision to treat today like any other day.

However, Yamamoto quickly realizes that it's difficult to treat today like any other day when he notices the different set of clothes Tsuna is wearing. His stops smiling when he sees the nasty bruise on her face and frowns at the rolled up pieces of tissue that are plugging up her nose. She has yet to notice him as he's walking towards her, because she is currently preoccupied with bandaging up her hands.

Yamamoto has so many questions he wants to ask her now that he noticed everything that seems so out of place. He has a feeling Hibari is the cause, considering the chase he had seen earlier. But rather than ask about what happened, he asks a different question.

"You need any help?" is what he asks. After all, it's hard to ignore how much Tsuna is struggling to bandage her hands by herself.

Tsuna does not shriek or scream—rather she freezes still out of shock. Yamamoto has caught her off-guard at a rather bad time…but not enough for her to get mad when she realizes that it's just him. That still doesn't make her feel any less terrified, with how hard her heart is pounding within her chest. She tries her best to not seem so startled, but she fails as she responds to Yamamoto's question with a shaky, "S-Sure."

Smiling, Yamamoto sits next to Tsuna and takes the roll of bandages out of her hands. While he doesn't look like the type, he is actually used to getting hurt during baseball games. It isn't easy stealing bases and neither is sliding all the way to home before the opposing team can tag him out with a baseball. It's why Yamamoto prefers to hit the ball as far as possible to give him and his teammates enough time to make it to home base without any difficulties. Of course, that isn't always such an easy task, but no one needs to know that.

"How have you been?" Yamamoto decides to ask Tsuna a simple enough question that he knows won't be too hard to answer.

Tsuna stares at Yamamoto with the blankest expression that she can make as she says, "I'm part of the Disciplinary Committee now."

It's not much of an answer, but Yamamoto doesn't mind. He looks over Tsuna, already quite aware of the different uniform that she is wearing. "Is that why you're wearing that?"

"Yeah…remember how Hibari asked for my measurements?" Tsuna considers this the best way for her to break Yamamoto of his habit of calling the Disciplinary Committee Leader a pervert. "This is why."

"Oh…" Well, that certainly explains a lot…but not enough, because Yamamoto still has questions as to _why_ Hibari would want Tsuna to wear a different uniform. Couldn't he have just given Tsuna a typical gakuran and called it a day? From the looks of it, the answer seems to be no. "So why was he chasing you?"

"Because I wouldn't resign from the boxing club—but he eased up." Tsuna seems far more exhausted just saying that. "By the way, I'm going to be busy after school from here on out—just like you're busy with the baseball club."

A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of Yamamoto's face. "I see…but we can still meet with each other during lunchtime—right?"

"I don't see why not." Tsuna needs some sense of stability in her life with how hectic it managed to get after she got a baseball to the chest. Mochida is capable of providing that and so is Yamamoto. Tsuna needs more time to adjust to Hana and Kyōko being part of her life, Hibari being such a terrifying addition to it, and Ryōhei being… _Ryōhei_.

And to think, it is only going to get worse from here on out, even more so when the day comes that Reborn finally shows up at her house under the guise of a tutor—how the hell is that going to work when her grades are a lot better than Tsunayoshi? Honestly, she'd rather not think about it right now and just let things happen…to a certain extent.

She sure as hell isn't going to let herself get kicked around so easily, which is why she decided to join the boxing club.

" _That reminds me…I should get Kyōko to send Ryōhei a message for me."_ Assuming Ryōhei didn't come to _literally_ pick her up again. Ugh, she's in dire need of a distraction now… "So I also lost a baby tooth today."

Courtesy of Hibari "I kick people in the head like it's nothing" Kyōya—Tsuna is only fortunate that it's just a baby tooth and not a permanent tooth. She still can't understand why, but she has an irrational fear of losing her permanent teeth. It's a fear that she acknowledges, with how it haunts her from the depths of her worst nightmares. Not that anyone needs know that— _nope_. Just like no one, other than Mochida, needs to know of her globophobia…

"You still have some?" Yamamoto is quick to ask, looking rather surprised.

"Uh, yeah…?" Tsuna is almost afraid to ask what prompted such a question from him.

"Oh…well, I already lost all of mine." Baseball certainly is a dangerous sport when it wants to be, but Yamamoto still loves it all the same. "Are you okay, though?"

Tsuna stares at Yamamoto for a full minute…then she shrugs and says, "I guess."

Things could be worse…and Tsuna is not going to take that for granted. So as soon as Yamamoto finishes bandaging up her hands, she reaches for her backpack and pulls out the packet of papers that Hibari had given her. As she starts reading, Yamamoto takes it upon himself to put away the first-aid kit that she had somehow forgotten about.

One of the very first things that Yamamoto had quickly learned about Tsuna is that her memory can be especially selective in what it wants to remember. It's funny at times, because she can remember the smallest of details but forget everything else that could be considered important. He doesn't laugh, of course—it's just something he acknowledges. If she laughs at it, then he, too, laughs along. Otherwise, he just acts as though nothing is wrong and just gives Tsuna a polite reminder.

After Yamamoto finishes packing away the first-aid kit, he takes out his lunch and starts to eat, feeling content for reasons he can't exactly explain. He knows he has more questions that he wants Tsuna to answer and yet, he feels satisfied with what she has told him. He can tell that she appreciates his silent, with how relaxed she seems.

"Yamamoto?" she suddenly says.

"Hmm?" He turns to look at her.

Tsuna hesitates for a moment before managing to say, without stuttering at all, "Thank you."

Yamamoto stares at her for a moment and laughs. "Ahaha, it's fine!"

…

…

When lunchtime is almost over, Tsuna and Yamamoto go their separate ways. On her way back to her classroom, Tsuna has a chance encounter with Mochida, who almost acts his usual self until he gets a better look at her.

"What the hell happened to you?" For once, Mochida finds himself showing some actual concern towards the girl he doesn't necessarily like. It's not every day he sees her with such a nasty bruise on her face. And there's a lot to be said about her new uniform. "Did you go full-fledged yankii?"

Mochida wouldn't be surprised if she did—Tsuna honestly has the potential and she is certainly pulling off the look.

"My, I didn't take you for the type to actually care," Tsuna nonchalantly responds. She is too tired to give Mochida a direct answer.

He sputters a few times, appearing somewhat flustered as he tries to make up an excuse. Really, she does have a point—but he still wants to _know_ and he doesn't get _why_. He sighs loudly and scratches his head a few times.

"Look, buddy—not all of us can look nice and dapper as you." Tsuna crosses her arms over her chest and looks up at Mochida. "And I know I'm not exactly a sight for sore eyes, but can you try telling me something I don't know?"

"I would if I could, but…" That bruise on her cheek is really starting to get on his nerves, like… "Can you at least put some concealer on that thing?"

"Nooope." Tsuna doesn't have any concealer and she doesn't feel like going shopping for some anytime soon.

"Tch, knowing you, you probably spent all your money on otome games." He's seen her make a number of purchases for that specific genre a few times during some of their unexpected meet-ups at the local game store. "Can you at least try to act a bit more like an actual girl?"

"My, you're the last person I'd expect to hear that from, shounen protagonist." Tsuna hides her grin behind her hand. "Unless you're trying to say something about yourself…"

"Grr…" Okay, Mochida will admit—he walked right into that one. "You know what I mean."

"I don't, actually." Tsuna does, but she sees no harm in trying to teach Mochida to think twice about the things he says.

"Just…care a little?" It frustrates Mochida with how someone could be so apathetic about their appearance. "At least cover up the bruise…"

"I'll…think about it." Tsuna isn't making any promises, though. "And if you're wondering about the uniform, I'm the Disciplinary Committee's newest secretary."

"I…kinda figured, with what you did to those girls the other day." Mochida tries to have as little contact with the Disciplinary Committee as possible, but from what he's heard…it's probably in his best interest to continue doing so. And yet, here he is, with the Disciplinary Committee's newest secretary. _"How funny…"_

"Well, I gotta get to class—by the way, nice wristband." That's all she says before going on her way.

_Ba-dump!_

" _What the…?"_ Sweat trickles down Mochida's face as he watches Tsuna walk away. He has his left hand over the wristband he wears on his right wrist. He's…not exactly sure what just happened and frankly, he's not certain if he wants to know. So he shakes his head and starts to walk.

…

…

Upon returning to her classroom, Tsuna is greeted by the sight of her classmates whispering to each after getting a good look at her current appearance. The bruise on her face has certainly left an impression on them, as does the black sērā fuku that had replaced her previous uniform. She sighs and decides she'll just have to get used to it.

" _Whatever…"_ is all she can think as she walks over to her desk, where she is immediately confronted by a predictably concerned Kyōko.

"What happened?!" she asks, frowning at the mere sight of the bruise on her friend's cheek.

"Did you fall?" Now Tsuna still a long ways to go before she knows Hana as well as Kyōko, but even _she_ knows that the dark-haired girl should know better than to ask that sort of question. And really, Kurokawa Hana _should_ know better…but of course, Hana is also Kyōko's best friend and if Tsuna is capable of remembering one thing clearly, it's that Kyōko has issues with people she knows getting hurt because of fights. So based on the look Hana is currently giving Tsuna, as well as the hidden implications behind her question, she wants her to lie…

"As a matter of fact, I _did_ fall—I fell down while going up the stairs!" And Tsuna decides that lying is better than telling the truth. She doesn't need people talking about how she lost to Hibari in a fight (that was pretty much one-sided, but that's beside the point). She also doesn't need Kyōko worrying about her now that she is part of the Disciplinary Committee.

Though, Tsuna is eventually going to have to introduce Kyōko to the hard truth, because she is _not_ going to leave the poor girl out of the loop. That is just unfair and, not to mention, dangerous as hell. It's better if Kyōko was informed and prepared instead of oblivious and vulnerable towards future mafia shenanigans. For now, just letting things go on as usual is good enough.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kyōko frowns at the nasty bruise on Tsuna's face.

"I just lost a tooth and got a bloody nose—nothing too serious." Yeah, Kyōko doesn't need to know about the freaking concussion Hibari gave her. Kusakabe had certainly been worried when he was called in by Hibari to check up on Tsuna.

Apparently, Kusakabe has enough experience to know when someone needed to go to the hospital after enduring a beat-down from Hibari. While it might have been comforting to know that she didn't need to go to the hospital, Tsuna is still _disturbed_ over how Kusakabe managed to accumulate enough experience in order to _tell_ when someone was in dire _need_ of a hospital visit. Because that alone implies that it has happened enough times for Kusakabe to just _know_.

Apart from that, Kusakabe is honestly a rather nice guy for someone with such an intimidating appearance (he is freaking _huuuuge_ ) and Tsuna is grateful for that, since she definitely isn't going to be receiving any kindness from Hibari that doesn't involve sparing her life. She almost feels bad for saying she didn't need any help bandaging her hands when Kusakabe noticed that her palms were scraped up from when she tripped and fell. He was just so _concerned_ about her and though his concern wasn't unwanted, it still managed to weird her out because she barely even knows the guy.

"So, I'm part of the Disciplinary Committee now and I need you to give Ryōhei a message that I won't be able to go to the boxing club today." Smooth is not a word that will ever define Tsuna and she knows it, which is why she doesn't even bother to try. "Can you do that?"

The look of confusion on both Kyōko and Hana's faces are understandable…but Kyōko still manages to respond with an, "Of course!" as if nothing is wrong.

Meanwhile with Hana, she is now starting to worry about Tsuna in the same way she worries about Kyōko, but for different reasons because at the very least, Hana can trust Kyōko to stay out of danger (unintentionally letting others take advantage of her, however…). Tsuna…lost whatever little trust Hana had for her.

Friendship sure is a difficult task when you are Kurokawa Hana…but she isn't going to let it show. Hana is a good friend, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by **Wyrvel** , so send them some love!!
> 
> By the by, to anyone confused about the starting paragraph to this chapter—about a year ago when I first wrote this chapter, I was still under the impression that I had everything figured out about myself. Apparently, nine months of questioning can do a lot to you, so as of September of this year, I finally figured out that I'm nonbinary. Yeah…so if you do come across any of my A/Ns in older fics (specifically, those on ff.net) where I refer to myself as female…technically, it's not wrong—I don't feel anything against that and I use she/her and they/them pronouns.
> 
> The same can also be said about Tsuna, so calling her a fem!Tsuna isn't wrong, either. Just know that she is also likely to go by she/her and they/them pronouns if asked. She's had like almost thirteen years of a new life to figure herself out, anyways. Gender is lot more complicated than it seems, and so is sex (neither of which are interchangeable terms—don't even try to argue with me on that).
> 
> And in accordance to the reviewer who said that I say Tsuna is asexual, but she seems to be leaning more towards girls than boys, have an explanation of what asexuality. Asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction to anyone and while I'm at it, aromanticism is a lack in romantic attraction to anyone. That being said, it has nothing to do with how Tsuna sees others, since she _does_ find people aesthetically attractive. Attraction comes in different forms, from aesthetic to sensual…just something to consider.
> 
> That being said, Tsuna is capable of liking anyone, regardless of their gender or sex (once again, not the same thing—I will fight you if you try to convince me otherwise). So yeah, she's not straight…in case anyone is still wondering about that.
> 
> Anyways, Tsuna got rekt in this chapter…but like, honestly? It was only a matter of time and to anyone who was wondering if Hibari was going to treat Tsuna any differently because she's a girl (for the most part)…lol nope! Hibari treats everyone equally in a fight!
> 
> As for Yamamoto, got a reviewer saying he's coming off as possessive. That wasn't the intent, but I do apologize if he came across like that to some. Hopefully, this chapter clears some things up with the way he's been acting. I will give credit to **Wyrvel** , for being the reason I have latched onto the idea that Yamamoto suffers from emotional neglect from his peers and copes with attention-seeking behaviors—which is what's going on. Like…he craves attention, so he does what he can to get it, which he does by playing baseball (think Naruto when he pulls pranks on people). So long as he wins, everything is fine, right?
> 
> Except his teammates expect the best from him _all_ the time, so he's kinda suffering whenever he doesn't meet their expectations and it's taking its toll on his love for baseball. Tsuna isn't like that, which is why he likes being around her. She is also the only person he can actually call a friend, which is something he's come to realize in this chapter.
> 
> Hana doesn't get this aspect of Yamamoto just yet, she just knows that he has a friend that he especially cares about, and so does she. She cares about Kyōko a lot and really does treasure their friendship, because Kyōko _gets_ Hana and it really is nice to have someone who just _knows_ you. She's a snarky and sarcastic girl who can come across as an asshole to some—but only when Kyōko is out of sight. Hana is also a good friend and will do anything to keep her friends safe, especially if they're bad at staying out of trouble—like Tsuna.
> 
> Kyōko is the living embodiment of sunshine and that's something that won't be changing anytime soon. What will change is the amount of information she's given, because there will come a point when Tsuna will have to ease her into the loop she's been kept out of. In the meantime, Tsuna will just have to play along with Hana and Ryōhei.
> 
> Speaking of Ryōhei, just as a heads up, that scene happened before autistic!Ryōhei became an actual thing (pre-rewrite, that was something that happened in chapter six). Originally, I was like…that happened and I'm not changing it. I'm still not changing it, but I feel I can explain it now. Sometimes, things can get overwhelming for Ryōhei when he can't understand things, so his response is to take a break. It's a lot easier for him to understand by doing, than listening.
> 
> Also, Mochida is shaping up to be quite different from the character he is in the manga, probably as a result of the interactions he's had with this Tsuna. And Kusakabe might as well be Hibari's official caretaker who needs better hobbies than betting on when Hibari is going to break down a door.
> 
> Tell me what you think and that's it!!


	6. EXTREME

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 1-6 have been edited and expanded, so if you're an old reader, do make sure to go back and check the earlier chapters!!

It is shortly after class is dismissed that Ryōhei makes his appearance in the middle of the doorway, just as Tsuna is about ready to leave her classroom. Tsuna stares blankly at the white-haired teenager who blocks her way and wonders if he had run all the way here from his classroom on the second floor the instant that class was dismissed. Knowing Ryōhei, he probably did…but the fact that he is here brings up the question of **why**. Blinking a few times, Tsuna looks over her shoulder at Kyōko.

_What the hell?_

"Sorry, Tsuna-chan…" Kyōko laughs nervously as she holds up her cellphone to show the message that had yet to be sent that was on the screen. "Onii-chan beat me to it, so you have to tell him yourself."

"Good luck with that." Hana is no help at all, though she at least _pretends_ that she isn't amused with the current situation. It's just so strange, seeing Ryōhei interact with a girl who isn't his little sister or Hana herself. Though, it's also more interesting to see how much Tsuna is willing to put up with Ryōhei…

"What's going on?" Ryōhei furrows his brow. "Oh, is it about Hibari?"

Tsuna turns her attention back on Ryōhei. "What?"

"You tried to recruit him into the boxing club, right?" Ryōhei grins widely, his heartbeat beginning speeding up from excitement. "That's why he was chasing after you today—right?!"

A look of disbelief crosses Tsuna's face. How did Ryōhei come to such a conclusion? Tsuna wants to know, because that sounded _waaay_ too damn specific to just be random. Did he—did he try recruiting Hibari already?

" _That…would explain why Hibari looked so irritated when I mentioned the boxing club…"_ Tsuna narrows her eyes in annoyance now that she realizes she had Ryōhei to blame for what happened earlier between her and Hibari… _partially_ , at the least. Her refusal to back down from a fight she couldn't win is certainly to blame for the bruise on her cheek and her missing baby tooth… _"Let's try to tone down the impulsivity from here on out…"_

Sighing, Tsuna decides to put that all aside, considering Ryōhei is still waiting for an answer from her and it would be really rude of her to leave him hanging…

"He was chasing after me because I didn't want to resign from the boxing club now that I'm part of the Disciplinary Committee." Tsuna can only assume that Hibari wants nothing to do with Ryōhei at all, even by slight association. She wouldn't blame him, considering Ryōhei _is_ rather loud. "It had nothing to do with me trying to recruit him into the boxing club."

Tsuna finds herself smiling because of how coherent she is. No stuttering or pausing—just simple talking without any issues and it feels _really_ good because nothing hurts!

_Awesome!_

And then Ryōhei stops grinning and just the mere sight of it feels so _wrong_ that Tsuna just stops smiling. Her stomach churns uncomfortably as she wonders if she somehow upset the older boy. Beads of sweat trickle down her face as she continues to stare at Ryōhei. She really hopes that she didn't upset him—just the idea that she did that to Kyōko's older brother makes her feel like absolute trash.

Fortunately, for Tsuna, Ryōhei isn't upset—the exact opposite, actually. He is absolutely ecstatic to hear about Tsuna's resolve to defy Hibari when told to resign from the boxing club. An even wider grin crosses his face as he places his hand on Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna is quick to notice that he's shaking—it's a lot like what she does whenever she gets so overwhelmingly happy.

_Oh crap._

That can only mean one thing. "That's the sort of extreme drive I was looking for in a girl like you!"

And there it is!

" _Oh god, why?!"_ Tsuna is absolutely _horrified_ to hear that from Ryōhei. "P-Please don't pick me up again!"

Tsuna is not in any mood to be carried all the way to the boxing club again— _not_ when she has to head to the Disciplinary Committee today. Speaking of which, she needs to tell Ryōhei about that—like right now, before he does anything else on an impulse.

"So do you want to walk to the boxing club together, then?" And that is Tsuna's cue to tell Ryōhei everything.

"I can't today, actually…I'm busy." And if Tsuna doesn't hurry up, she is going to be late. "Can we talk about this later? Ask Kyōko for my number, I need to get going before I'm late."

Surprisingly enough, Ryōhei does what he was told and moves out of Tsuna's way, allowing her to leave the classroom. Following Tsuna out of the classroom is a number of her classmates, who have been waiting for Ryōhei to move out of the way as well. Ryōhei is seemingly confused, only receiving a gentle nudge from Kyōko as she walks up to him.

"You need to pay a little more attention to the people around you, Onii-chan." Kyōko smiles reassuringly at her older brother, who just smiles back at her.

"Right…" Ryōhei feels a little embarrassed, but that still doesn't stop him from asking Kyōko about Tsuna's number. "So Sawada's number?!"

Kyōko stares at her Ryōhei, laughing when she sees that he has already taken out his cellphone. It's nice to see him get so eager about something other than boxing…

"Tsuna certainly seems popular." Hana is certainly amused, but Kyōko mistakes her remark for someone who feels left out.

"Do you want her number, too?" Kyōko frowns. "I'm sure she'd like to hear from you as well."

Hana stares at Kyōko for a moment before sighing and taking out her cellphone. "Sure, why not?"

It's not as though Hana has anything better to do at the moment, especially now that Ryōhei has run off the instant he received Tsuna's contact information, and there are _some_ forms of entertainment that can come from using a recently obtained number…

…

…

Yamamoto is on his way to the baseball practice when a certain Sasagawa Ryōhei gets in his way. Ryōhei almost crashes into him, but Yamamoto quickly sidesteps and watches as Ryōhei runs past him. He tilts his head to the side and then moves to the side again as Ryōhei makes his way over to him for a second time. This time, Ryōhei stops right in front of him and looks up at him with a wide smile on his face.

"Yamamoto—you're friends with Sawada!" Ryōhei states the obvious, but Yamamoto doesn't say anything to that. Instead, Yamamoto tries his best not to seem too urgent to leave—he needs to get to practice, after all. "Can I ask you about her?"

" _Why_?" Yamamoto asks, somewhat surprise with how defensive he sounds. He doesn't mean for it to come out like that—it just happens.

"Because you know more about her!" Fortunately, Ryōhei doesn't notice. "I want to know if you know how physically active she is—I wanna get her on a training schedule soon."

"Is that so?" That doesn't sound too bad, Yamamoto thinks. It's just training, after all, and he'd rather Ryōhei know about Tsuna's limits than have him find out on his own. Ryōhei is rather notorious for accidentally pushing people past their limits. "Well, then…I guess I can tell you."

Yamamoto doesn't mind being late to practice if it means helping Tsuna out. He finds himself smiling at the sight of how excited Ryōhei gets, with the way his body shakes as he holds up his balled up fists. He smiles because it reminds him of Tsuna.

Ryōhei listens intently, taking in every single piece of information that he finds useful—which is all of it. He wonders briefly if he should write it down. It's probably best if he does, since he tends to forget things so easily. But he knows he can remember this—so he decides that he's fine as he is.

Yamamoto thinks otherwise as, halfway through the conversation, he stops to pull out a notebook and a mechanical pencil from his schoolbag. He writes down everything he's told Ryōhei so far, as well as a few other things that he hasn't. When he is done, he rips the paper out of the notebook and hands it over to Ryōhei.

Ryōhei accepts the paper and looks over its contents, his smile growing wider and wider with each passing second. "Thank you!"

"It's nothing…" Yamamoto says with a smile. "Is that all you need?"

"Actually…" Ryōhei pauses for a moment. "Do you know when she's free?"

For a brief moment, Yamamoto's smile wavers. It's not a question he expects and there's something off about the way he feels when he answers it. "She's free in the mornings…except on Sundays."

He's not sure why he said that, but as Yamamoto watches Ryōhei leave after getting enough information on Tsuna, he feels somewhat better. He decides, as he makes his way to baseball practice, that he'll go see Tsuna this Sunday. Maybe they can go out somewhere for Golden Week…

…

…

When Kusakabe introduces Tsuna to the rest of the Disciplinary Committee, she isn't that surprised to see how short she is compared to everyone else. After all, she is currently the only first year in the committee and Hibari is still searching for potential members in her year (which definitely explained a lot of what went on during the past few weeks). Then she hears a couple of voices teasing someone, saying something along the lines of them no longer being the shortest member of the committee anymore. And gone is the neutral expression on Tsuna's face.

" _So much for not giving a fuck…"_ Tsuna huffs as she crosses her arms. She is not amused…though she _is_ distracted by everyone's seemingly matching hairstyle (she does see some deviations here and there, but they don't stand out as much). The regent pompadour—it is certainly a delinquent classic.

And now Higashikata Josuke refuses to leave her mind, even though Tsuna knows his hair is styled differently and that she is in an entirely different series. Though, that is probably for the best (for her and everyone else's sake), because, for starters, the last thing Namimori needs is a murder mystery and a serial killer with a fetish for hands. That still doesn't stop Tsuna's brain from making a connection and deep down, she has the strongest urge to make fun of the committee's popular choice in hairstyle—just to see if anyone reacts in such a specific way. After all, there _are_ eighth-graders in the Disciplinary Committee…

" _Only one way to find out…"_ And Tsuna is willing to take her chances against a group of tall, male students who can probably beat the shit out of her. That is before one of the third-years walks up to her and ruffles her hair, welcoming her into the Disciplinary Committee with such warmth that it catches Tsuna completely off-guard. "Ehh?"

"Welcome to the Disciplinary Committee, secretary," Kusakabe says from a distance, no longer standing right next to Tsuna—for some reason.

Tsuna furrows her brow, somewhat perplexed with Kusakabe's actions. It is only until she is surrounded by the rest of the Disciplinary Committee that Tsuna finds out why Kusakabe has moved away from her, but by then, it is already too late. _"Oh no…"_

Multiple hands reach down to ruffle the fluffy mess of brown hair, each of them accompanied by voices of differing tones that belongs to surprisingly _nice_ teenagers whose appearances belie their true nature. Each of them welcomes Tsuna into the committee as they continued to ruffle her hair. They are honestly having too much fun and Tsuna has no effing idea how to even react. It is at least nice to see that they are rather accepting of her (like, _holy shit_ ), but the fact that they just destroyed whatever sort of image she _might_ have had of them is still trying to process itself in her mind.

" _This is why we don't assume things, Setsuna."_ Tsuna sure learns her lesson the hard way. But at the very least, she isn't in pain and she is satisfied with that. She doesn't even care that her hair is an even bigger mess than it usually is by the time the others decide to leave her alone to attend to their usual business of keeping the peace at Namimori Middle.

"Are you okay, secretary?" Kusakabe asks, somewhat concerned if maybe the others have gone overboard with Tsuna. He wonders if he should have stopped them instead of just watching them… "Secretary?"

"Huh?" Tsuna looks at Kusakabe, having only just realized that he had been talking to her. It is going to take her some time to adjust to her new nickname—that is not meant to be insulting for once. Wow, that's actually… _sad_. "What?"

"Are you okay?" Kusakabe looks nervously at the bruise on Tsuna's cheek—it's just so hard to ignore.

"Uhh…yeah…" Tsuna runs her fingers through her messy hair. "What was that all about?"

"Initiation," is all Kusakabe can say, because frankly, he has no idea what it was. It is a side the Disciplinary Committee only shows towards each other and even then, it is on such rare occasions (such as these, where a new member is introduced), because they have a reputation to maintain (they are certainly dedicated for guys who are so much nicer than they appear).

Tsuna looks blankly at Kusakabe for a moment before saying, "You're all dorks."

Kusakabe blinks. He has no idea how to react to Tsuna's comment and decides to stay quiet—it's probably for the best. He walks over to Tsuna and clears his throat before placing his hand on her shoulder. "Since that's out of the way, let's get you ready for your first task…"

" _I don't like the sound of this…"_ And that feeling only grows stronger when Tsuna is seated at a desk and given a few sheets of paper. She looks over one of the papers, arching her brow at the contact information that is on it. She doesn't recognize any of the names listed, and it really confuses her as to _why_ she was given contact information for people she doesn't know. "What're these for?"

"You have a cellphone, right?" Kusakabe is quite sure Tsuna has one…unless she forgot it at home today _. "Should have asked that first…"_

"Y-Yeah…" Tsuna looks questioningly at Kusakabe, wondering if she should have said otherwise when she notices how relieved he looks. _"Too late now…"_

"Just add all of these into your contacts list—make sure to message everyone at least once so they know who you are." Kusakabe thinks it's a simple enough job, especially for a newcomer such as Tsuna. It's all she has to do today, since paperwork is a task exclusive only to Hibari, who _refuses_ to ever let anyone, other than himself, touch. Kusakabe, on the other hand, is still figuring out which of his duties he is going to relinquish to the secretary—he is _extremely_ hesitant to let her handle anything involving even the **slightest** of contact with Hibari, considering what went on between the two today. He is pretty sure that Hibari is currently handling the paperwork for _that_ … "If you have any questions, don't hesitated to send me a message—my number should be on there, just under Kusakabe Testuya."

"Anything else you'd like to add?" Tsuna hopes not—she can already tell that she is going to be here for a while because she has so much to enter into her phone… _manually_.

The twig in Kusakabe's mouth moves to the side as he pauses for a moment…then he shakes his head and says, "That's about it."

"Okay…" Tsuna inhales deeply and then exhales before pulling out her cellphone. She flips the device open, looks at the first name on the list, and enters the appropriate contact information listed on the paper—why is there a birthday listed? _"Are they expecting me to remember birthdays, too?"_

…

_Fuck._

Well, at least her cell phone's calendar is going to be put to use…this is going to take her _hours_. She might as well get comfortable in her seat…

"Good luck," is all Kusakabe says before he takes his leave.

Tsuna has no response at all that doesn't involve her screaming, so she stays silent and continues with her task. Such a tedious job…and to think, this is Tsuna's first task as secretary.

" _Could be worse…"_ Tsuna could be doing paperwork that she has no clue how to fill out…but she's not, she's just entering contact information into her cellphone— _manually_. _"Uuugh…"_

…

…

The passage of time is immensely slow (and _boring_ ) and Tsuna is already wishing for anything to interrupt her— _anything_. There is nothing particularly interesting happening and there is a limit to how long Tsuna could stay seated without feeling uncomfortable because of how restless she gets.

She has just sent the tenth message to the tenth person she has added to her list of contacts (after making sure their birthday is added to her calendar's list of important dates). It is just as she is about to enter the eleventh person's contact information that it dawns on her that she could try entering everyone's contact information first, _then_ send a massive email to everyone else in one go. And as for the birthdays, she could just keep the damn papers for future references.

" _God…_ _ **dammit**_ _…"_ Tsuna clenches her teeth as she tries to suppress the urge inside of her to just swear out loud at just about _anything_ because of how _annoyed_ she feels. Tsuna exhales loudly in frustration and then slumps back into her chair, taking a moment to think over her situation. It could be worse, she wants to think, but she doesn't. Instead… _"This fucking sucks."_

That does nothing to improve Tsuna's mood, but it is better than cursing up a storm and summoning Hibari.

…

…

Two hours.

It takes Tsuna two fucking hours to enter the entire Disciplinary Committee's contact information into her cellphone. It takes an extra ten minutes to send out a massive email afterwards and deal with the aftermath, with her cellphone blowing up with multiple notifications of everyone wishing her a good day (why is everyone _so fucking nice_?!). It might have taken Tsuna less time, had Kyōko not sent her a message asking her if she was fine (in which Tsuna spent like forty-five minutes just dicking around with her new friend)…but Tsuna would rather ignore that detail.

For now, Tsuna just wants to let it sink in that she is fucking done. It feels glorious, as she slumps back into her seat, her thumbs relishing the break that they are getting.

_Never again!_

Or so Tsuna thinks, before she receives an email out of the blue. The email is from— "Koizumi Haruno?"

Whoever the fuck he is, Haruno's email better not be a waste of Tsuna's time, otherwise, he is going to receive the brunt of her frustration. And _boy_ , does she have a lot of pent up frustration!

_My turn to fetch drinks and snacks (again). You want anything, Secretary?_

— _Haruno_

Well…that isn't anything Tsuna is expecting…but since Haruno is asking—

_A soda would be nice, as well as a bag of chips. Any flavor will do, except for salt and vinegar._

— _Tsuna_

As soon as Tsuna presses send, she closes her cellphone and sets it down on the desk. She glares at it afterwards, almost daring it to give her any more notifications. When more than a minute passes without her cellphone going off, Tsuna allows herself to relax and takes to staring at the ceiling for the next fifteen minutes or so.

" _No matter what the time,_

_I'm just alone._

_Destiny forgotten,_

_Even though I kept going._

_Inside of the sudden light I awaken,_

_In the middle of the night."_

Make that five minutes—and holy shit, that's _loud_! Tsuna is _not_ expecting her cellphone's ringtone to be _that_ loud. Of course, when was the last time Tsuna even heard her ringtone being used?

…

" _Wow, this is fucking_ _ **sad**_ _!"_ Tsuna can't help but think as she scrambles to answer the unknown number that is calling her for _some_ reason. She really can't understand why _anyone_ would want to call her…with the exception of her father, but he prefers video messages using a program that is like Skype…but _not_ Skype.

Skype, apparently, doesn't exist in this world…just like many other things, as Tsuna has come to learn during these past twelve, almost thirteen, years. Replacements are a thing (the obligatory MacDonalds as a replacement to McDonalds and so and so)…except when they aren't. It's a freaking weird "it either exists or it doesn't" relationship that Tsuna doesn't really care too much to research (even though she probably should).

Discoveries aside, there really shouldn't be any reason for Tsuna to receive any calls. It's not that Nana doesn't call either, because she does when given the chance. It's that Nana has her standards on _when_ she feels the need to check up on her own daughter. Tsuna honestly feels her mother trusts her _waaay_ too much for comfort (it has its upsides, but at the same time, Tsuna is too used to past memories of receiving angry phone calls from her Mexican mother, asking about her whereabouts in Spanish).

"H-Hello?!" Tsuna has no idea _why_ she answers a call from an unknown number. She just does and she is pretty sure it's on an impulse—an impulse to find the quickest way to silence her phone's loud-ass ringtone, because Hibari does _not_ like loud noises. **That is fact**.

Tsuna doesn't like loud noises either, but this is more about her avoiding another encounter with Hibari than about her. Because she doesn't want to piss him off—she is out of energy to deal with him anymore today.

" _ **Hey, whatcha wearing?"**_ Tsuna practically freezes when she hears a voice ask her that on her phone. What…the absolute **fuck** was that?

"Wh-Wha?" Tsuna needs a few seconds to gather her thoughts. That question throws her off rather badly, and almost disturbs her, had she not recognized the voice of the person calling her. "H-Hana? How did you get my number?!"

Tsuna _knows_ she didn't give any of her contact information to Hana. She would have though, had she not been too worried about sounding so forward.

Hana sounds absolutely amused as she laughs mirthfully. _**"Kyōko—don't worry. She didn't give it out to anyone else…except Ryōhei, but you gave her permission. Good luck with that, by the way."**_

"Gee, _thanks_ …" Tsuna remarks, sarcasm evident in her tone. "So why'd you call me?"

" _ **Just wanted to mess with you,"**_ Hana replies. _**"You know how it is with having new numbers."**_

"No, I don't." That's what the friendless life entailed for Tsuna up until recently (she has Kyōko's number, as well as Yamamoto's). Of course, she always preferred text messages to calls in her past life, and the shift from text messages to emails in this life isn't any different (apart from the fact that Yamamoto had to teach her the ways of emails). "But I'll try to see what you mean after I add your number."

Hana laughs. _**"It doesn't work when I have yours on me already."**_

Is that a challenge Tsuna hears? Well then— "Watch me."

" **Anyways** _ **…"**_ Hana decides to change the subject. _**"I know you didn't fall…but thanks for saying you did anyways."**_

"No problem…" It's honestly better than explaining what _did_ happen. Kyōko doesn't need to hear that freaking mess.

" _ **So what exactly did happen?"**_ And Tsuna should have seen that coming… _**"I know you're hiding stuff."**_

"Uuurgh…" Tsuna _really_ doesn't want to talk about it…but she also has nothing to do and it will be some time before she is allowed to go home… "You know what— _fine_. I'll tell you what happen. But—you better not laugh."

" _ **No promises!"**_ Honestly, Tsuna shouldn't be smiling…but she is, because she doesn't actually mind.

_I don't mind…_

Time passes so easily when you have someone to talk to, as Tsuna finds out when she suddenly finds herself being glared at by a black-haired teenaged boy with piercing gray eyes. She blinks a few times, the boy continuing to glare back at her as he places a bag of chips and a glass bottle of Ramune on the desk. Hana asks if something is wrong and Tsuna responds by saying she'll call back later, if she can, before hanging up.

"And you are…?" Tsuna has an idea who this boy is, but just to make sure…

"Koizumi Haruno—hope ya like strawberry, because that's all yer gettin' from me today, Secretary." So this is Haruno…

" _Huh…"_ Tsuna has no idea what she was expecting, but it certainly isn't a boy with short, messy hair (no regent pompadour on this one— _interesting_ ) and a glare that would have been intimidating, had he been a lot taller. It takes Tsuna almost two minutes to realize that Haruno isn't actually glaring at her—his eyes are just shaped in a way that makes him _look_ as though he _is_ glaring at her. "So no pompadour?"

Haruno snorts. "Pfft, with this hair? That ain't happenin'—besides, my ma said no."

"I see…so are you everyone's gopher or what?" It's an honest question Tsuna has, though she has her slight regrets when Haruno's face contorts into a scowl.

"No—I just suck at rock-paper-scissors!" Haruno snaps, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "And I am _not_ a gopher!"

…

…

"Okay…" Tsuna wants to laugh—because Haruno reminds her of an angry Chihuahua. His high-pitched boyish voice does not help at all. This is the last thing she ever expects from the Disciplinary Committee, although she knows better than to laugh, because she's pretty sure this boy can kick her ass (she can probably, too, but she's not in the mood to get into any more fights today). "I understand, Koizumi…senpai?"

Haruno twitches visibly, his blush deepening into a dark red. "J-Just Koizumi's fine—I gotta go!"

Apparently, getting referred to as "senpai" is something that Haruno cannot handle. That is…kind of adorable. Although, Tsuna is alone again, as a result of her short-heighted upperclassman having just _bolted_ out of the room (she has never seen someone run so fast— _holy shit_ ). She has absolutely nothing to do, except wait until it's time to go home.

If this is what her job as secretary is going to entail, then she might as well bring her DS. She is in the mood to torture her right hand's wrist and listen to great music by playing another session of _It's a Wonderful World_ (or as she knew it in her past life, _The World Ends With You_ ).

" _That'll have to wait until Friday."_ Because tomorrow is Showa Day and Showa Day means no school, so Tsuna plans on spending it by doing absolutely _nothing_. That sounds like a good plan, because Tsuna is in desperate need of a break for all the hell she endured this week. It is the only plan she actually has and she's adamant on seeing it through.

…

…

Tsuna is beyond giving a damn about anything when she finally leaves school. All she wants to do now is go home and sleep the rest of the day away. Or she can give love another shot, because she sure as _hell_ didn't get any as Alice Liddell because she ended up getting Blood Dupre's bad ending. All that time she spent—just wasted away because she forgot to save scum like no tomorrow.

_Mistakes were made…_

And Tsuna is not sure if she's willing to go through that again… She's considering it…and then she bumps into the last person she wants to see—Mochida Kensuke. It takes her a moment to react, being so caught up in her thoughts. Then she notices how damp with sweat the back of his shirt feels and immediately, she takes a few steps back and says, "Gross."

"Nice to see you too, tsundere," Mochida says as he turns around to face Tsuna. He takes a moment to adjust the dark blue duffle bag slung over his shoulder, making sure that it rests comfortably on his shoulder. He's not in any mood for any confrontations after kendo practice—especially not now and with Tsuna. "How's life been for you?"

"I dunno, you tell me how life's been for you, shounen protagonist." Tsuna can barely muster enough energy to snark back.

Mochida sighs heavily and shakes his head. "Look, I can tell that you're exhausted—hell, I'm exhausted, too. Can we just call a truce for now? I'll even get you something for your troubles if it bothers you that much."

"I want a parfait…" Tsuna goes in for the kill, not even bothering to think over Mochida's offer. "From that café you really like…"

Mochida twitches slightly at the mention of his favorite café. "Can you try not to say that out loud?"

Mochida has a reputation to maintain and he is _not_ in any mood to have Tsuna endanger that.

"Dude, it's just a café—you're not any less manly if you go to one." Tsuna really hopes Mochida grows out of this phase soon, because it's starting to grate on her nerves. "Shit like this doesn't really have a gender—like clothes and make-up."

"And you?" Mochida means that as a joke (a very lazy joke), but Tsuna catches him by surprise when she says, "I'm not in any mood to elaborate on that."

"Oh…" Mochida wasn't expecting that and now, he has no idea what to think. He supposes he's lost this confrontation, even though there wasn't really much going on between them. He runs his hand through his somewhat damp hair and sighs. "Okay, I'll respect that."

"So about that parfait…" Tsuna decides to put the focus back on that.

"Just follow me…" At least now, Mochida has an actual excuse to go there. On the bright side, he won't have to worry about any of the servers asking him if he's waiting for his date. On the downside, the server managed to make the mistake that he and Tsuna were on a date.

"We're not dating!" the two are quite quick to shoot down the server's assumption.

The poor girl nearly drops her notepad out of shock. "S-S-Sorry…"

The server's assumption manages to sour the neutral mood Mochida and Tsuna had going on. It is to their slight disappointment, because they really weren't expecting that, because really—them dating?

"Now that's a laugh," Mochida huffs as he shoves a forkful of cake into his mouth.

"Indeed…" Mochida isn't even Tsuna's type to begin with, so she feels no particular endearment towards him in that respect.

"Glad to see that we can agree on something, tsundere." Mochida doesn't know what to make of this, but he guesses it's better than nothing.

Tsuna waves off Mochida's comment. "Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it, shounen protagonist—the truce is only for today."

"Right…" Mochida nods. "So any plans for Showa Day so I know where to avoid you?"

"Tch, don't worry about that—I don't plan on going anywhere tomorrow." Tsuna knows what she wants to do tomorrow and she'll be damned if she goes against any of her plans. "Feel free to go wild without me there to get in the way."

It's not any of her problem about what Mochida does, after all.

…

…

" _No matter what the time,_

_I'm just alone._

_Destiny forgotten,_

_Even though I kept going._

_Inside of the sudden light I awaken,_

_In the middle of the night."_

Of course, it is to Tsuna's complete misfortune that, at six in the morning, every one of her plans being thrown out the window when her cellphone goes off, because _someone_ decided that six in the goddamn morning is a good time to call her. Holy crap, that _really_ is too loud!

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!_

Tsuna tumbles out of bed in an attempt to reach out to her cellphone to shut off the source of her untimely awakening. She regrets setting her cellphone across the room, so far away from the comforts of her bed.

She eventually reaches her cellphone, in the pockets of her uniform's skirt, of which she did not bother to hang up the day before. She has no classes today, after all…and for that reason alone, she answers the phone with a disgruntled, "What?!"

She never bothers to check who it is that is calling her and she only comes to regret it when she recalls that Hibari has her number. Oh shit, what if that's _him_?

_Oh god…_

Fortunately, for Tsuna, it is not Hibari…but Ryōhei. _**"Hey, Sawada, are you awake?!"**_

_Unfortunately_ …it's **Ryōhei**. "I am now…"

" _ **Great!"**_ Ryōhei sounds absolutely oblivious to Tsuna's annoyance. _**"Guess who's outside your door!"**_

Tsuna nearly drops her cellphone. "You didn't…"

_Ding-dong!_

" _ **I hope you're ready, because we're going to start your training!"**_ Ryōhei is pumped, but Tsuna is not. She wants to sleep, but Ryōhei is at her front door (why does he know where she lives?!). _**"C'mon, Sawada, we're burning daylight—"**_

Tsuna hangs up and hopes that everything that had just happened…is just a prolonged dream. Let it be a dream, she hopes, because she is not prepared for such a sudden change in her plans.

_Ding-dong!_

" _No matter what the time,_

_I'm just alone._

_Destiny forgotten,_

_Even though I kept going._

_Inside of the sudden light I awaken,_

_In the middle of the night."_

It's not a dream.

"Motherfucker," Tsuna swears under her breath. She takes a moment to look at her wardrobe, sighing when she recalls the clean, orange tracksuit that hangs inside. _"Should I?"_

_Ding-dong!_

"Tsu-chan! There's someone outside for you!" It doesn't even surprise Tsuna that her mother is already awake. Nana is a morning person, after all—it's nothing new. "Did you make another friend?"

"Y…Yes!" Tsuna hesitates for a moment…she hesitates, but doesn't outright deny. It just happens and she's not in the mood to think about it. "Tell him I'll be down in a bit!"

And within less than ten minutes, Tsuna appears before Ryōhei, who grins widely upon seeing her in an orange tracksuit. Any sassy remarks Tsuna might have had for Ryōhei are wiped blank from her mind as she notices how _happy_ he seems. Now there are many things Tsuna is…but heartless is not one of them. So she stays quiet, as Ryōhei continues to talk about their training session. He's even considering writing out a meal plan for her (not that she'll follow it…maybe—fuck it, she'll _try_ and if not, oh well).

Tsuna just nods her head as she stretches. It's easier to go along with what Ryōhei just says. It's too early to put up with someone as loud as him. "Augh!"

It's also too early for Tsuna to get a casual slap on the back, but she has no time to complain because there goes Ryōhei, running off down the street. Tsuna sputters before running after him, suppressing every urge within her to complain. She'd save that for later, when the two were stationary.

…

…

It's a quarter past seven when the two finally reach the park. Ryōhei is looking absolutely fine for someone who was running for over an hour. The same cannot be said about Tsuna, who can barely feel her legs. She is grossed out by the amount of sweat dripping down her back that makes the shirt underneath her jacket cling to her skin. It is gross—so very gross, and _ew, ew, ew_!

_Slap!_

Tsuna shudders in reaction to the hearty slap on the back that Ryōhei gives her as he congratulates her for making it this far. How he is not gross out by her sweat, she has no clue, but all she wants to do, is pass out on the floor and sleep for a month. But Ryōhei will not have that, as he starts talking about monkey bars and pull-ups and— "Wait, this is what I do with Yamamoto."

"I know!" Ryōhei practically chirps. "I asked him for help!"

Tsuna stares at Ryōhei with an incredulous look. "Is—is that so?"

"Uh-huh!" Ryōhei grins widely as he balls up his hands into fists that are shaking with excitement. "I thought that maybe we should start with something you're familiar with, instead of pushing something entirely new on you!"

That's…rather considerate. Now if only Ryōhei had decided to impose this on Tsuna sometime past _ten_ , instead of six in the morning.

" _Baby steps…"_ Tsuna exhales in exasperation.

…

…

Two hours pass, and Ryōhei finds himself staring at Tsuna, who lies flat against the ground. He blinks a few times and continues to stare. He stares and stares, before he decides to kneel down. The ground is very grassy and somewhat soft, as well as wet from the morning dew. It's a little uncomfortable, but Ryōhei doesn't think much about it. Rather, he questions the appeal, because Tsuna seems comfortable enough. She hasn't moved much since she sank to the ground, mere seconds after he told her that they were done training. She's breathing rather hard, Ryōhei notes. He isn't that surprised, since he can tell Tsuna has a ways to go because she is so out of shape. She's doing a lot better than he had expected, however.

_Growl._

And she's also hungry. Ryōhei nods his head. He knows what to do, so he pulls off his backpack. He unzips it and reaches inside to pull out one of the few protein bars he has on himself. For a moment, he considers just offering the protein bar to Tsuna as it is. Then he decides to unwrap the protein bar and holds it close to Tsuna—just for her convenience.

Ryōhei is completely unprepared when Tsuna suddenly **chomps down** on the protein bar with such desperation. He does not flinch, but his body is tense. It was just such an _extreme_ reaction…but Ryōhei does not mind. He feels his heart skip a beat as a wide grin forms on his face.

"Whoa, did you eat breakfast?" Ryōhei only asks as a joke, because Tsuna absolutely _demolishes_ the protein bar in his hand within minutes.

Tsuna swallows hard, her eyes narrow as she responds, quite harshly, "No."

"Wha?" Ryōhei feels cold all of a sudden. He doesn't like that response—no, he does not. "Why didn't you eat? Breakfast is an extremely important meal!"

"Well someone woke me up _extremely_ early without any warning!" Tsuna practically spats, disliking the taste the protein bar had left in her mouth. "Bleck…"

"Oh…" is all Ryōhei says. He scratches his head and thinks, for a moment, that _maybe_ he should have called Tsuna ahead of time. Actually, he should have asked if she had eaten **before** they left. Really, he should have—he should know better. And yet, it _still_ happened. "Sorry, Sawada!"

"You need to think before you act…" Ryōhei can't help but smile when he hears this. It isn't the first time he's heard that phrase, after all. Kyōko admonishes him from time to time, so Ryōhei finds it funny that Tsuna sounds exactly like his sister. "Of course, I'm not any better…"

Although, that's a first for Ryōhei to hear, but he doesn't find anything wrong. If anything, he feels a slight connection to Tsuna, so he reaches out and ruffles her hair. He ignores her whines, as well as the sweat that dampens his skin. Sweat is nothing new to him, whether it's his or not—even when it starts to soak the bandages wrapped around his hand.

"Let's get going, okay?" Ryōhei stares at Tsuna, grinning as widely as ever. He ceases once he realizes that Tsuna isn't going to respond at all (nor move, since she seems extremely comfortable being on the ground). He feels bad, because part of the reason why she's like this is because of him…but he doesn't let it bother him for too long. Instead, he grins widely again, earning a questioning stare from a pair of orange-brown eyes.

Tsuna blinks when Ryōhei hooks his hands under her arms. A split second later, her eyes widen when she is suddenly lifted off the ground. Her feet dangle in the air as Ryōhei holds her up in the air as one would a disgruntled cat. Her expression certainly matches that of one.

"How much do you weigh?" Ryōhei asks purely out of curiosity as he tries to make an estimate of how heavy Tsuna is as he holds her up in the air. She's not exactly _that_ heavy, but she is certainly not light, either. Not that Ryōhei has any issues, since her short height has its convenience.

There are certainly better ways Ryōhei could have worded his question, Tsuna thinks as she answers, rather bluntly, "61 kg."

Ryōhei's eyes widen in awe. "Really? _Wow_ , you're heavier than me!"

"Anything else you'd like to know?" Tsuna's expression is blank. She is beyond giving a shit about anything anymore. "Like my measurements?"

"Your height would be a good start!" Tsuna's sarcasm flies over Ryōhei's head. "Unless you wanna wait until tomorrow when we measure you out?"

Ryōhei plans on making using of whatever time he can get with Tsuna. He knows that she's free in the morning, because Yamamoto said she would be free. Yamamoto knows a lot about Tsuna and soon, so will Ryōhei.

Tsuna stares at Ryōhei, who waits impatiently for an answer. His body is trembling with so much unspent energy. She feels almost jealous of him— _almost_. "142 cm…can you put me down now?"

"Can you stand?" Ryōhei looks questioningly at Tsuna.

A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of her face. "No…"

"Then there's your answer!" Ryōhei exclaims rather cheerfully before hurling Tsuna into the air without any warning. He laughs when she shrieks and holds out his arms to catch her. It takes a while before Tsuna lands in his arms, because he threw her so high into the air. It doesn't really dawn on Ryōhei that he might have overdone it. All he really seems to care is when Tsuna finally lands in his arms. "Gotcha!"

Ryōhei stumbles for a moment, because Tsuna's weight nearly disrupted his balance. He manages to keeps his ground, however. His grin widens because that was such an _extreme_ catch. Hell, that throw was already extreme to begin with!

"To the _extreme_!" he exclaims, completely oblivious to Tsuna's visible distress, which mostly stems from her _immense_ fear of falling (what a _**lovely**_ way to come to terms with such a fear _without_ the use of a rollercoaster).

"Abuabuabuabuabu…" Tsuna is foaming at the mouth, her eyes completely white from shock as tears stream down her cheeks. She didn't think it was physically possible for someone, such as Ryōhei, to throw her up so high into the air. He's so young, she thinks, only fourteen years old and weighing less than she does. He should have at least had _some_ difficulties—but no, he did it with such **ease**. Really, it shouldn't have been possible…but then Tsuna recalls that Ryōhei defies the seemingly impossible. He defies it in his strive to live, "To the extreme!"

_How fitting…_

Tsuna finds that she has her regrets as Ryōhei carries her to a nearby bus stop. She has her regrets ever joining the boxing club. Although, that doesn't mean she wants to quit. She just has regrets—that's all. They're there because, deep down, she has a very unsettling feeling that things are only going to get worse from here on out…and Reborn hasn't even entered the picture.

_Fuck…my…life…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To start of this chapter after so long, have a comment from **kurobook** , who is to thank for Ryōhei's EXTREME throwing skills: _FLAG ACHIEVED!_
> 
> **2-23-17** And here we have the chapter six with some extra scenes and stuff. I'm not sure if much has changed throughout this edit and expansion, but whatever, it's done! I'm good with that, though do feel free to ask any questions if you have any. I'm back in school now, but doing a lot better than last semester, so I'm definitely fine with everything! I just need to find the time (and drive) to do shit…
> 
> Anyways, I just love how Mochida slowly integrated himself into this fic, when he sure as hell wasn't around in the old version of this fic. Also, I'm not exactly sure if anyone's noticed, but like…Tsuna's ringtone is the Japanese opening for _Kingdom Hearts_ , which is Hikari. By the by, while I'm on the topic of Kingdom Hearts, I have started a _Kingdom Hearts Unchained X_ SI OC fic by the name of _Manifest Eccentric_ if you wanna give that a look. I also updated my _Hunter X Hunter_ SI OC fic, _De Mí a Usted_ , so that's a thing. Ohh, and I'm not sure if it interests anyone, but my _Pokémon_ OC fic, _I am Trainer_ , is currently going through an reboot, so…once again, feel free to check it out (it's set in Unova, during _Black and White_ ).
> 
> MOVING ON FROM THERE, have a random-ass Disciplinary Committee OC, Koizumi Haruno. Yeah, shit happens and just…bluh, don't take it too personally, like people have with my many OCs in my Naruto SI OC fic, _Metamorphosis_. And yeah, Yamamoto is feeling a little off about the idea of Ryōhei possibly intruding on whatever possible free time he has with Tsuna. So now you have possible Golden Week plans that weren't there originally! Yeah…
> 
> Ryōhei is easily excitable towards the things that matter to him, Tsuna needs a freaking break (maybe Golden Week might give her just that), Mochida needs to learn how to fucking chill about rigid gender roles (which is a thing in Japan, by the way, in case you're wondering about his behavior and I'm using my man Iori Junpei from _Persona 3_ and the café "date" I had with him as the FeMC in _P3P_ as some sort of inspiration for the café scene with him and Tsuna, because he was _definitely_ in my head for it), and the Disciplinary Committee is full of dorks.
> 
> Tsuna is fine, by the way, in case anyone was wondering. I just used one of Ibuki Mioda's sprites (from Daganronpa 2) as a reference for the description, since Ibuki pulls that look whenever she's losing it (she's a very expressive character and I love her). Kazuichi Souda is another reference, since he has that same look when he's on a rollercoaster (he **hates** rollercoasters), so…yeah…it's just a thing I've noticed while reading manga and looking at some visual novels.
> 
> And because **RedFireCandy**  from fanfic.net made SUCH AN EXCELLENT REVIEW, have a glance at what they had to say, because I will never be over this and thank you so much for making this review:
> 
> " **Yamamoto heard the majestic cry of the Tsuna-bird as it was chased by the angry skylark. Sadly, the Tsuna-bird tripped mid-flight on its own tail feathers and was bitten to death. Rest In Peace Tsuna-bird."**
> 
> This is the absolute best and I thank every one of you who have taken the time to review this fic! And just so you know, I finally put up [Tsuna's character sheet](http://klonoadreams.tumblr.com/post/154704994174/things-not-shown-in-hates-being-a-shounen), which was inspired by **Wyrvel** 's character sheet of Sawada Kou, from their fem!Tsuna fic, _Kou's Guidelines For Organized Crime_ (give it a look, it is VERY good!).
> 
> That's about it for now, and I'm really happy because _finally_! It's UP! I hope you enjoyed it, so feel free to tell me what to you think in a comment!! So until next time everyone!


End file.
